Colorado shooting suspect charged with 142 counts, including 24 of first-degree murder
Denver Post: Colorado movie theater shooting suspectJames Eagan Holmes was charged with 142 counts, including 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted murder, one count of possession of an explosive device and one count of a sentence enhancer for a crime of violence.
Photo: Karl Gehring / The Denver Postc
‘Dark Knight Rises’ screening shooting in suburban Denver leaves 12 dead, 59 injured: police
‘He said he was the Joker, enemy of Batman,’ Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, adding that the madman had also painted his hair red. The suspect - identified as James Holmes, 24, a former University of Colorado medical school student - was arrested shortly after the rampage.
AURORA, Colo. — The heavily armed gunman who shot 71 people - killing 12 - at a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” near Denver boasted to cops that he was Batman’s arch nemesis.
“He said he was the Joker, enemy of Batman,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said after conferring with his counterpart in Aurora.
“He had his hair painted red,” Kelly added.
The suspect - identified as James Holmes, 24, a former University of Colorado medical school student - was arrested shortly after the rampage at a movie complex about 10 miles east of Denver.
The gunman burst into the packed theater through an emergency door 20 minutes into the film, set off two canisters emitting smoke or tear gas and opened fire, authorities said.
“I thought it was pretty much the end of the world,” theatergoer Robert Jones, 28, told the Denver Post.
Witnesses described the shooter methodically picking off his victims, stopping only to reload. He was packing three guns, including an assault rifle, and outfitted with full body armor.
“There were bullet (casings) just falling on my head,” Jennifer Seeger told the Associated Press.
“Every few seconds it was just: Boom, boom, boom,” she added. “He would reload and shoot, and anyone who would try to leave would just get killed.”
Ten people were found dead at the scene. Two died at local hospitals, including a 6-year-old girl.
At least 59 others were wounded, 11 critically.
The youngest victim was believed to be a four-month old infant who was treated for non-life threatening injuries and released. At least six victims were rushed to the Children’s Hospital in Aurora.
