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Tag: dark knight rises shooting

  • Colorado Theater Shooter to Get New Psych Evaluation

    Colorado theater shooting suspect, James Holmes, will have another chance at a mental examination to determine if he was insane at the time he shot up a theater full of people in a suburb of Denver, according to Fox News.

    The judge in the case, Arapahoe County District Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr., determined that the first mental exam given last summer was flawed. The prosecutors’ requests to have the exam done by a doctor of their choosing has been denied. Judge Samour said that it would again be done by the state hospital, but a different doctor than last time.

    The list of things that have delayed this trial continues to grow, as just a couple of weeks ago, there was a separate hearing on whether or not the contents of Holmes’ phone could be shown to jurors. The contents reportedly include some disturbing self-photos of the suspect.

    Should the test determine that Holmes was mentally insane or “in the throes of a psychotic episode”, as his lawyers suggest, then he would be sent away to the state hospital indefinitely. If they determine that he was sane and knew exactly what he was doing, and that it was wrong, he will face either the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

    Holmes was a promising pupil, both in high school and college. In 2011 he enrolled in a Ph.D. program in neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Denver, but it was not to last. After failing a key test and dropping out, it was only a matter of weeks before he was committing one of the biggest and most shocking crimes in recent history.

    He entered a theater full of people in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises”. He riddled the audience with bullets, killing 12 and injuring 70. He also rigged his apartment with deadly explosives to distract, confuse and possibly harm responders. Holmes has so far pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

    His trial date is still anyone’s guess as pre-trial motions continue.

    Image via YouTube

  • 3,500 Potential Witnesses in Aurora Shooting Trial

    Nearly one year ago, James Holmes entered a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado with tear gas and guns, killing 12 people and injuring over 60 others. The shooting took place during an opening weekend showing of The Dark Knight Rises, turning crowded summer movie blockbuster premieres into yet another place where Americans are now wary of guns (though at least one Missouri movie theater recently forgot this).

    Now, Holmes’ murder trial is about to begin, and prosecutors seem to have an incredible amount of evidence to demonstrate that he was the shooter. According to an Associated Press report, prosecutors this week filed a motion in court that states they have close to 3,500 potential witnesses that could be called on to testify. In addition, prosecutors estimated they have almost 40,000 pages of evidence that have been filed.

    Holmes will be tried on multiple counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors have turned down a plea offer from Holmes’ defense for the suspect to plead guilty if they agree not to seek the death penalty, stating they do intend to seek the death penalty. Holmes’ lawyer recently requested the suspect’s plea be changed to not guilty by reason of insanity, which the judge in the case is currently deciding whether or not to accept.

  • Aurora Shooter James Holmes Islam Conversion Rumored

    Earlier this month, Aurora shooter James Holmes appeared in court sporting a huge beard. Now, rumors have begun to surface claiming that the man has converted to Islam.

    According to a report in the Daily Mail, the rumor first surfaced in the tabloid publication The National Enquirer. An unnamed “prison source” allegedly told the Enquirer that Holmes has converted to Islam, prays five times a day, eats only halal food, and studies the Koran. The source is quoted as saying Holmes now believes his shooting rampage was part of “his own personal jihad.” The rumors also hold that Holmes’ fellow muslim inmates are not happy with his alleged conversion, as they don’t want the religion to be associated with his crimes.

    Holmes is currently on trial for the shooting that took place at an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre in July 2012 during a showing of the move The Dark Knight Rises. He allegedly entered the theatre wearing a gas mask and shot canisters of tear gas into the crowd. He then shot into the crowd with a shotgun, semi-automatic rifle, and handgun. 12 people died and 58 others were injured.

    The rumors of Holmes’ religious conversion sound a bit sketchy. If true, though, they could be an indication of Holmes’ mental health, which has been called into question. Of course, the rumors could just be false, or Holmes could simply be trolling everyone.

  • NYPD Battles Twitter, Wins With Court Order

    A Twitter user posted tweets this week, indicating intentions to initiate an Aurora-like murder rampage, and the police took these tweets seriously enough to investigate.

    The user is quoted as tweeting things like, “i’m serious, people are gonna die like aurora,” and “gosh i’m still making this it list damn i wanna kill a lot of people.”

    According to reports, the police believe the user’s tweets were in connection with a Mike Tyson show on Broadway.

    Considering that people’s lives could be in jeopardy, the lives already lost in the Aurora massacre, and the related incidents that continue to pop up around the country, it’s not hard to believe that the police would take the threats seriously.

    A man with a gun was arrested at a theater showing The Dark Knight rises in Connecticut on Tuesday night. Another man in Ohio, who took guns, ammo and knives to a showing, was arrested on Saturday, though he claims the weapons were for protection, in case someone else tried to imitate the Aurora tragedy.

    Twitter, apparently respecting free speech and user privacy, was not ready to give up the user’s personal information without some resistance. When the NYPD asked Twitter for the user’s info, the company declined to provide it. Then, the NYPD got a court order, and changed Twitter’s mind.

    Twitter does say in its privacy policy:

    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Policy, we may preserve or disclose your information if we believe that it is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation or legal request; to protect the safety of any person; to address fraud, security or technical issues; or to protect Twitter’s rights or property. However, nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit any legal defenses or objections that you may have to a third party’s, including a government’s, request to disclose your information.

    Just for comparison, here’s what Facebook says in its privacy policy:

    We may access, preserve and share your information in response to a legal request (like a search warrant, court order or subpoena) if we have a good faith belief that the law requires us to do so. This may include responding to legal requests from jurisdictions outside of the United States where we have a good faith belief that the response is required by law in that jurisdiction, affects users in that jurisdiction, and is consistent with internationally recognized standards. We may also access, preserve and share information when we have a good faith belief it is necessary to: detect, prevent and address fraud and other illegal activity; to protect ourselves, you and others, including as part of investigations; and to prevent death or imminent bodily harm. Information we receive about you, including financial transaction data related to purchases made with Facebook Credits, may be accessed, processed and retained for an extended period of time when it is the subject of a legal request or obligation, governmental investigation, or investigations concerning possible violations of our terms or policies, or otherwise to prevent harm.

    Beyond pointing to its privacy policy, Twitter hasn’t commented on the matter.

  • Colorado Shooting: Holmes Appears Dazed In Court

    James Holmes, the 24-year old man who went on a shooting rampage early Friday morning in a Colorado theater, appeared court today after being arrested for the deaths of 12 people and shooting injuries of more than 60.

    Holmes sat quietly in the courtroom, his fiery dyed hair a jarring spectacle among the somber colors surrounding him, and appeared almost to be drugged. Certainly, he looked distant and exhausted as he was read his rights and was informed that he is being held without the possibility of bail due to the nature of his crime. His behavior during the proceedings was strange enough for newscasters to wonder whether he will be declared competent to stand trial, as will his failure to speak even one word, choosing instead to communicate through his lawyers.

    Holmes’ parents are reportedly not being cooperative at all during the investigation, so it will be interesting to see how their roles in the trial will play out, as well as what we may learn about Holmes in coming weeks.

    We will update this article as news is given.

    *UPDATE*

    District Attorney Carol Chambers says there is no such thing as a “slam dunk case” and that they will work diligently in an effort to give Holmes a fair trial as well as work with the victims and their families. She also says this will be a lengthy process and that any talk of the death penalty will be carefully considered, because it will affect so many people. It could be a year before the case goes to trial, she says.