Colorado cinema shooting: James Holmes found guilty of 2012 movie theater murder
He was charged with 24 counts of murder and 140 counts of attempted murder
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Your support makes all the difference.James Holmes was found guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday afternoon for the theater massacre three years ago.
The 27-year-old walked into a Aurora, Colorado movie theater, fatally shooting 12 people and injuring 70 others on 20 July 2012.
Holmes was initially charged with 24 counts of murder and 140 counts of attempted murder — two for each person killed and two for each injured. He was also charged with possession of explosives, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.
The shooter dressed in riot gear, carrying three guns and more than 700 rounds of ammunition into the Denver theater during a midnight showing of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.
Holmes previously entered a plea of not guilty by way of insanity.
District Attorney George Brauchler refuted this plea. Prosecutors sought the death penalty and Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on 4 June 2013.
“He only stopped when the gun stopped... We know what insanity is... this ain’t it. He knew what he was doing when he killed those people. He intended to kill them. That was his specific goal.”
The tragedy is considered one of the worst shootings in US history.
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