| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | '''James Eagan Holmes''' is suspected of killing 12 and wounding 58 in a mass murder perpetrated at a sold-out midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," a movie about Batman. The crime occurred in Aurora, Colorado, in the early morning of July 20, 2012. | + | '''James Eagan Holmes''' (born December 13, 1987) is suspected of killing 12 and wounding 58 in a mass murder perpetrated at a sold-out midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," a movie about Batman. The crime occurred in Aurora, Colorado, in the early morning of July 20, 2012.<ref name="BBC">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18937513 Profile: Aurora cinema shooting suspect James Holmes], BBC</ref> |
| | | | |
| | Holmes was a PhD student in science who reportedly received many shipments, probably materials for his crime, at his office at the University of Colorado. | | Holmes was a PhD student in science who reportedly received many shipments, probably materials for his crime, at his office at the University of Colorado. |
| Line 10: |
Line 10: |
| | | | |
| | 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== |
| | + | |
| | + | Holmes was born in [[liberal]] [[California]]. He graduated in 2006 from Westview High<ref name="ABC">[http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/basic-timeline-suspected-colo-theater-gunman-16824543#.UA3JBqDiFX8 Basic Timeline for Suspected Colo. Theater Gunman], ABC News</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. |
| | + | |
| | + | Another possible cause for Holmes' violent behvaior might be his induldgence in video and computer games. According to acquaintance of his, Holmes was an avid player of computer games<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> |
| | + | |
| | + | Likewise, sexualized entertainment and pornography cannot be ruled as having had an effect on Holmes' behavior. Seeing that he had a personal profile on Adult FriendFinder (a website whose purpose is to facilitate casual sex),<ref>[http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/365528/20120721/james-eagan-holmes-sex-profile-photo.htm James Eagan Holmes Had Profile On Sex Website, Plus Everything Else We Know About The Colorado Shooting Suspect], International Business Times</ref> it is unlikely to assume that he had not viewed porn, which is known to cause individuals to engage in anti-social and violent behavior. |
| | + | |
| | + | Many of the audience were students from local high schools who were influenced by the attack at the local Columbine High School. The schools had held annual "Code 3" lockdown drills which taught them how to react in a shooting situation.<ref name=saslow>{{cite news|title=The Columbine Generation: In violence's shadow, bound by new tragedy|date=July 23, 2012|page=A1|author=Eli Saslow|work=Washington Post}}</ref> As a result, the audience dropped to the floor and moved quickly away from Holmes without injuring others in the crowd. |
| | + | |
| | + | ==The shooting== |
| | + | |
| | + | The shooting occurred during the local premiere of ''The Dark Knight Rises''. Many people attended the midnight premiere wearing costumes based on earlier Batman movies. Holmes was wearing full body armor, including a throat protector and a ballistic face protector. He carried three weapons: a Remington shotgun, a Smith & Wesson M&P assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine and a Glock .40 caliber handgun.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|title=A day of tears and twists in Colorado|work=Washington Post|page=A1|date=July 23, 2012|author=David Fahrenthold, Thomas Heath and Joel Achenbach}}</ref> Twenty minutes into the show, Holmes entered the movie theater through the emergency exit, released a gas grenade,<ref name=saslow/> and began shooting at patrons.<ref name=denver/> Twelve people died and 58 were wounded.<ref name=denver/> Holmes' assault rifle had jammed about half way through its magaine.<ref name=wp/> At least one bullet penetrated the partition separating the adjacent theatre and wounded a patron in the next room.<ref name=saslow/> Holmes was arrested shortly after the shooting was over.<ref name=denver>[http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21124893/12-shot-dead-58-wounded-aurora-movie-theater 12 shot dead, 58 wounded in Aurora movie theater during Batman premier], The Denver Post</ref> When police arrived, they appeared to have mistaked Holmes for a SWAT officer based on his costume. Holmes left the threatre and returned to his car. One officer noticed something irregular about Holmes' SWAT gear, questioned him, and arrested him. Holmes surrendered without resisting.<ref name=wp/> |
| | + | |
| | + | Police then went to Holmes' apartment to investigate further and discovered that it had been booby-trapped with many explosives. Police concluded that Homes had spent months accumulating explosives, weapons and ammunition.<ref name=wp/> The computer collected at the apartment is being analyzed with the assistance of the FBI.<ref name=wp/> |
| | + | |
| | + | ==Political Reaction== |
| | + | President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney took down their campaign ads in Colorado and cancelled 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 vists 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> |
| | + | |
| | + | == References == |
| | + | <references/> |
| | + | |
| | + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, James Eagan}} |
| | + | [[Category:Lunatics]] |
| | + | [[Category:Mass Murderers]] |
| | + | |
| | == See also == | | == See also == |
| | | | |