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| James Holmes to face trial over Aurora movie theatre shooting | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A judge has ruled there is enough evidence for James Holmes to face trial over the Aurora, Colorado movie theatre shootings in which 12 people died. | A judge has ruled there is enough evidence for James Holmes to face trial over the Aurora, Colorado movie theatre shootings in which 12 people died. |
| Holmes is accused of wounding another 70 people at a screening of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises in the city of Aurora on 20 July 2012. | Holmes is accused of wounding another 70 people at a screening of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises in the city of Aurora on 20 July 2012. |
| Judge William Sylvester said prosecutors had established probable cause to proceed with 166 felony counts, including murder and attempted murder. | Judge William Sylvester said prosecutors had established probable cause to proceed with 166 felony counts, including murder and attempted murder. |
| Holmes is due to be arraigned on Friday but his defence attorneys filed papers on Thursday afternoon saying he is not ready to enter a plea. They are likely to appear in court Friday to ask for the arraignment to be delayed. | Holmes is due to be arraigned on Friday but his defence attorneys filed papers on Thursday afternoon saying he is not ready to enter a plea. They are likely to appear in court Friday to ask for the arraignment to be delayed. |
| Sylvester's ruling came after a three-day hearing this week in which prosecutors laid out their case against Holmes, 25. | Sylvester's ruling came after a three-day hearing this week in which prosecutors laid out their case against Holmes, 25. |
| A succession of police and federal agents testified that Holmes spent weeks amassing guns and ammunition, concocted explosives to booby-trap his apartment, scouted the movie theatre before the attack and took a series of chilling photographs. | A succession of police and federal agents testified that Holmes spent weeks amassing guns and ammunition, concocted explosives to booby-trap his apartment, scouted the movie theatre before the attack and took a series of chilling photographs. |
| Officers described a hellish scene inside the theatre on 20 July, when 12 people were shot dead in front of their families and friends and scores of others were wounded amid a din of gunshots, screams and the blaring soundtrack of The Dark Knight Rises. | Officers described a hellish scene inside the theatre on 20 July, when 12 people were shot dead in front of their families and friends and scores of others were wounded amid a din of gunshots, screams and the blaring soundtrack of The Dark Knight Rises. |
| Holmes' lawyers called no witnesses and cross-examined only a few of those summoned by prosecutors during the hearing. They raised the issue of Holmes's sanity, a matter that could be key to avoiding the death penalty. His lawyers have not said if he will plead not guilty by reason of insanity but have portrayed him as a man with serious mental problems prone to bizarre behaviour. | Holmes' lawyers called no witnesses and cross-examined only a few of those summoned by prosecutors during the hearing. They raised the issue of Holmes's sanity, a matter that could be key to avoiding the death penalty. His lawyers have not said if he will plead not guilty by reason of insanity but have portrayed him as a man with serious mental problems prone to bizarre behaviour. |
| Prosecution witnesses have testified that Holmes started assembling an arsenal in early May and by 6 July had two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, 6,200 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines that allow many shots to be fired in succession. In late June he began equipping himself with a helmet, gas mask and body armor, the witnesses said; and in July he began buying fuses, gunpowder, chemicals and electronics to boobytrap his apartment in hopes of triggering an explosion and fire to divert police from the theatre. The bombs never went off. | Prosecution witnesses have testified that Holmes started assembling an arsenal in early May and by 6 July had two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, 6,200 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines that allow many shots to be fired in succession. In late June he began equipping himself with a helmet, gas mask and body armor, the witnesses said; and in July he began buying fuses, gunpowder, chemicals and electronics to boobytrap his apartment in hopes of triggering an explosion and fire to divert police from the theatre. The bombs never went off. |
| Also in early July he took some interior and exterior photos of the theatre, witnesses said. "He picked the perfect venue for this crime," prosecutor Karen Pearson said. | Also in early July he took some interior and exterior photos of the theatre, witnesses said. "He picked the perfect venue for this crime," prosecutor Karen Pearson said. |