Changes

observed a former FBI assistant director.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-received-thousands-from-grad-school-grants-ahead-of-deadly-aurora-shooting/ James Holmes received thousands from grad-school grants ahead of deadly Aurora shooting], [[CBS News]]</ref> Holmes was found [[incompetent]] to stand trial in May 2016.

observed a former FBI assistant director.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-received-thousands-from-grad-school-grants-ahead-of-deadly-aurora-shooting/ James Holmes received thousands from grad-school grants ahead of deadly Aurora shooting], [[CBS News]]</ref> Holmes was found [[incompetent]] to stand trial in May 2016.

Holmes dyed his hair a bright reddish orange for the evening of the crime (see the booking photo to the right) in imitation of the Joker, a nemesis of Batman.<ref>Esposito, Richard; Date, Jack; Thomas, Pierre; Ferran, Lee (July 20, 2012). [http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/aurora-dark-knight-suspect-joker-cops/story?id=16822251 Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Said He 'Was the Joker': Cops]. ''ABC News''. Retrieved April 27, 2018.</ref> He "told police he was the fictitious Batman villain, the Joker, and when cops put evidence bags over his hands to preserve traces of gunpowder residue, he pretended the bags were puppets."<ref name="ABC News">[http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-spitting-correction-officers-forcing-spit-guard/story?id=16844456 James Holmes Spitting At Correction Officers, Forcing Use of Spit Guard], [[ABC News]]</ref><ref>Sanchez, Raf; Hughes, Mark; Allen, Nick (July 20, 2012). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9416529/Batman-cinema-shooting-James-Holmes-told-police-he-was-The-Joker.html Batman cinema shooting: James Holmes 'told police he was The Joker']. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 27, 2018.</ref>  

Holmes dyed his hair a bright reddish orange for the evening of the crime (see the booking photo to the right) in imitation of the Joker, a nemesis of Batman.<ref>Esposito, Richard; Date, Jack; Thomas, Pierre; Ferran, Lee (July 20, 2012). [https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/aurora-dark-knight-suspect-joker-cops/story?id=16822251 Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Said He 'Was the Joker': Cops]. ''ABC News''. Retrieved April 27, 2018.</ref> He "told police he was the fictitious Batman villain, the Joker, and when cops put evidence bags over his hands to preserve traces of gunpowder residue, he pretended the bags were puppets."<ref name="ABC News">[https://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-spitting-correction-officers-forcing-spit-guard/story?id=16844456 James Holmes Spitting At Correction Officers, Forcing Use of Spit Guard], [[ABC News]]</ref><ref>Sanchez, Raf; Hughes, Mark; Allen, Nick (July 20, 2012). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9416529/Batman-cinema-shooting-James-Holmes-told-police-he-was-The-Joker.html Batman cinema shooting: James Holmes 'told police he was The Joker']. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved April 27, 2018.</ref>  

Holmes professed to be an [[agnostic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/alleged-shooter-james-holmes-bragged-of-soul-penetrating-eyes-on-dating-website-2012-7|title=Alleged Shooter James Holmes Bragged Of 'Soul Penetrating Eyes' On Dating Website|last=Rogers|first=Abby|date=July 23, 2012|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|language=English|accessdate=October 8, 2017|quote=In his profile, Holmes described himself as an agnostic man who "definitely" wants kids, only drinks "socially," and doesn't smoke.}}</ref> '''Holmes was obsessed with role-playing [[video games]] and reportedly planned his attack long in advance'''.  "Authorities working in the jail say that Holmes is maintaining his villainous 'Joker' persona.  'Let’s just say he hasn’t shown any remorse,' a jail employee said. ''''He thinks he’s acting in a movie.''''"<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-mug-shot-released/ James Holmes' mug shot released], [[CBS News]]</ref>

Holmes professed to be an [[agnostic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/alleged-shooter-james-holmes-bragged-of-soul-penetrating-eyes-on-dating-website-2012-7|title=Alleged Shooter James Holmes Bragged Of 'Soul Penetrating Eyes' On Dating Website|last=Rogers|first=Abby|date=July 23, 2012|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|language=English|accessdate=October 8, 2017|quote=In his profile, Holmes described himself as an agnostic man who "definitely" wants kids, only drinks "socially," and doesn't smoke.}}</ref> '''Holmes was obsessed with role-playing [[video games]] and reportedly planned his attack long in advance'''.  "Authorities working in the jail say that Holmes is maintaining his villainous 'Joker' persona.  'Let’s just say he hasn’t shown any remorse,' a jail employee said. ''''He thinks he’s acting in a movie.''''"<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-holmes-mug-shot-released/ James Holmes' mug shot released], [[CBS News]]</ref>

Holmes will be formally charged with multiple first-degree murders.  While in jail, Holmes has repeatedly spat on guards.<ref name="ABC News"/>

Holmes will be formally charged with multiple first-degree murders.  While in jail, Holmes has repeatedly spat on guards.<ref name="ABC News"/>

==Background==

==Background==

Holmes was born in [[liberal]] [[California]]. He graduated in 2006 from Westview High,<ref name="AssociatedPress">[http://www.boston.com/news/education/articles/2012/07/21/basic_timeline_for_suspected_colo_theater_gunman/ Timeline for Suspected Colo. Theater Gunman], [[Associated Press]]</ref> a [[public school]].<ref>[http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdwvhs/ Westview High School official website]</ref> A video of him from around that time shows him in a science camp talking about "temporal illusions", which he describes as "illusion[s] that allows you to change the past",<ref name="ABC2">[http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-video-colorado-shooting-suspect-abc-news/story?id=16830653#.UA3ToKDiFX9 Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes Was Turned Away From Gun Range], [[ABC News]]</ref> an idea that reek of liberal [[relativism]]. This kind of thinking, in which objective morality does not exist, might have been one of the factors which lead him to engage in such murderous actions later on.  

Holmes was born in [[liberal]] [[California]]. He graduated in 2006 from Westview High,<ref name="AssociatedPress">[http://www.boston.com/news/education/articles/2012/07/21/basic_timeline_for_suspected_colo_theater_gunman/ Timeline for Suspected Colo. Theater Gunman], [[Associated Press]]</ref> a [[public school]].<ref>[http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/pusdwvhs/ Westview High School official website]</ref> A video of him from around that time shows him in a science camp talking about "temporal illusions", which he describes as "illusion[s] that allows you to change the past",<ref name="ABC2">[https://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-video-colorado-shooting-suspect-abc-news/story?id=16830653#.UA3ToKDiFX9 Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes Was Turned Away From Gun Range], [[ABC News]]</ref> an idea that reek of liberal [[relativism]]. This kind of thinking, in which objective morality does not exist, might have been one of the factors which lead him to engage in such murderous actions later on.  

Another possible cause for Holmes' violent behavior might be his indulgence in video and computer games. According to an acquaintance of his, Holmes played video games in class,<ref>[http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1229335--james-holmes-suspected-in-colorado-theatre-shooting-rampage Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes described as quiet graduate student], [[Toronto Star]]</ref> which are known to increase violent behavior.<ref>[http://www.killology.org/article_teachkid.htm "Teaching Kids To Kill"],  By Lt. Col. Dave Grossman</ref>

Another possible cause for Holmes' violent behavior might be his indulgence in video and computer games. According to an acquaintance of his, Holmes played video games in class,<ref>[http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1229335--james-holmes-suspected-in-colorado-theatre-shooting-rampage Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes described as quiet graduate student], [[Toronto Star]]</ref> which are known to increase violent behavior.<ref>[http://www.killology.org/article_teachkid.htm "Teaching Kids To Kill"],  By Lt. Col. Dave Grossman</ref>

President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney took down their campaign ads in Colorado and canceled political rallies on Saturday, July 21. On Sunday, July 22, Obama flew to Colorado to meet with each family of the victims.<ref name=nakamura>{{cite news|title=Obama visits victims, again taking on mantle of healer in chief|author=David Nakamura|date=July 23, 2012|work=[[Washington Post]]|page=A8}}</ref> The City of Aurora organized a prayer [[vigil]] for Sunday night that drew over a 1000 attendees.<ref name=nakamura/>

President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney took down their campaign ads in Colorado and canceled political rallies on Saturday, July 21. On Sunday, July 22, Obama flew to Colorado to meet with each family of the victims.<ref name=nakamura>{{cite news|title=Obama visits victims, again taking on mantle of healer in chief|author=David Nakamura|date=July 23, 2012|work=[[Washington Post]]|page=A8}}</ref> The City of Aurora organized a prayer [[vigil]] for Sunday night that drew over a 1000 attendees.<ref name=nakamura/>

Ever since [[Al Gore]] lost the presidential election in 2000 in part due to [[Democrat]] demands for [[gun control]] in the aftermath of the [[Columbine massacre]], Democrats have had an unspoken rule against demanding gun control.  White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, "The president's view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law."<ref name=wp/>  [[Neoconservative]] commentator Bill Kristol told Fox News Sunday that this was a mistake and that Obama should show more leadership on calling for an assault weapon ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/07/22/feinstein-johnson-debate-stricter-gun-control-netanyahu-dangerous-times-middle-east|title=Feinstein, Johnson debate stricter gun control; Netanyahu on dangerous times in the Middle East|date=July 22, 2012|work=[[Fox News]] Sunday}}</ref>

Ever since [[Al Gore]] lost the presidential election in 2000 in part due to [[Democrat]] demands for [[gun control]] in the aftermath of the [[Columbine massacre]], Democrats have had an unspoken rule against demanding gun control.  White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, "The president's view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law."<ref name=wp/>  [[Neoconservative]] commentator Bill Kristol told Fox News Sunday that this was a mistake and that Obama should show more leadership on calling for an assault weapon ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/2012/07/22/feinstein-johnson-debate-stricter-gun-control-netanyahu-dangerous-times-middle-east|title=Feinstein, Johnson debate stricter gun control; Netanyahu on dangerous times in the Middle East|date=July 22, 2012|work=[[Fox News]] Sunday}}</ref>

==Sentencing==  

==Sentencing==