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Although Alex Ewing was not initially considered a suspect in the case, a DNA test in July 2018 connected him to semen discovered at the murder site. When he got there an hour later, he told them had obtained a concealed carry permit and showed them a black handgun. In 1993, a 19-year-old gunman shot and killed three teenagers and their manager at a . [109][110] Formal sentencing began on August 24 and was expected to last for three days. She still struggles to speak about the details of the attack, and chokes up when she thinks of the assault and murder of Melissa, whom she said was a sweet little girl. Debra was a family-focused woman who enjoyed spending time with her aunts in Lakewood, Connie said. Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney John Kellner declined to comment on the upcoming trial. I just want to get it done and get a resolution on this, Connie said. At the conclusion, Judge Sylvester decided there was enough relevant, admissible evidence to proceed to a trial. Now investigators are working to determine whether a Nevada convict named Alex Christopher Ewing is that man. Alonzo Powell, age 41, was found dead in the room according to the April 30, 2000, Metro Digest section of the Denver Post. Because of his tactical clothing, Holmes was at first mistaken for another police officer. [24], Holmes fired 76 shots in the theater: six from the shotgun, 65 from the semi-automatic rifle, and five from the .40-caliber handgun. [57][58] The people murdered were:[59][60], Ghawi had survived the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto that occurred a month prior. She was hospitalized in a coma with serious facial injuries that left her paralyzed on her left side, Connie said. [9], Holmes went to his car (which he had parked near the exit door), changed into protective clothing, and retrieved his guns. Closing statements were made on July 14, with formal deliberations beginning the following morning. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Other famous mass murders in Colorado include the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre and the 2012 Aurora, Colorado . In 2001, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was able to establish a DNA profile from semen collected from the carpet and comforter in the Bennett sisters bedroom. 3 Delayed By DC Following Aurora Shooting", "Batman Comic Postponed Because It Features A Teacher Pointing Gun at Students", "Warner Bros. tones down 'Batman' TV toon", "Hans Zimmer composes song for Aurora victims", "Century Aurora theater reopens with ceremony, showing of "The Hobbit", "Aurora theater shooting suits against Cinemark set for July 2016 trial", "Security Stepped Up Nationwide in Wake of Colorado Movie Theater Shooting", "Colorado Shooting 2012: Witness Says Gunman Shot Anyone Trying To Leave", "Cinema Security Tightened After 'Dark Knight' Shootings", "National theater association reviewing all security procedures in wake of Colorado midnight movie massacre", "Security Recommendations Sent To Theater Owners", "AMC Bans Masks And Fake Weapons at Their Theaters in the Wake of the Aurora Shooting", "Reassessing cinema security in the wake of Colorado's movie theater massacre", "Aurora theater shooting victims file suits against Cinemark", "Colorado judge denies theater rampage victims access to criminal files", "Aurora theater shooting judge denies victims' bid for records", "Judge says wrongful death claims in theater shootings should be tossed,", "Cinemark Again Denied Attempt To Toss Colorado Theater Shooting Lawsuits", "Cinemark Beats Victims' Lawsuit Over Mass Shooting at Colorado Movie Theater", "Cinemark Not Liable in Colorado Theater Shooting, Jury Finds", "Aurora theater shooting victims won't have to pay $700,000 in legal costs after Cinemark drops request", "First suit filed against University of Colorado in Aurora shooting", "What should a doctor do with a patient like James Holmes", "Aurora theater shooting: Gun sales up since tragedy", "Gun sales surging in wake of 'Dark Knight Rises' shooting", "Fear prompts gun sales after Colorado theater massacre", "Colo. rampage adds fuel to gun-control debate", "Views on Gun Laws Unchanged After Aurora Shooting", "As trial nears, debate grows over naming the Aurora theater shooting", "Victims' parents want "no notoriety" for mass shooters", "Aurora movie theater reopens 6 months after mass shooting", "Colorado movie theater, scene of mass shooting, reopens despite discontent", "Aurora Theater Reopens, Angering Some Family Members Of Victims", "Memorial to victims of Aurora theater shooting unveiled six years later", Map of theater, parking lot, and diagram of the charges, Map of theater, suspect's apartment, and hospitals, "Aurora Colorado theater shooting: The Big Picture", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2012_Aurora,_Colorado_shooting&oldid=1142415372, 70 (58 from gunfire, 4 from tear gas, 8 from fleeing accidents), This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 07:24. Denver7 News brings you breaking and developing news from Aurora, Colorado on KMGH-TV and TheDenverChannel.com. [78] Prosecutors alleged on August 24, 2012, that Holmes told a classmate he wanted to kill people four months before the shooting. At the time, the event had the largest number of victims (82) in one shooting in modern U.S. Michael Roberts March 30, 2022 8:13AM. Stephen Redfearn, one of the first police officers to arrive on the scene, sent victims to area hospitals in squad cars. On Monday, a gunman killed 10 people at a Boulder grocery . [93] On June 8, a second psychiatrist, Jeffrey Metzner, testified that Holmes was mentally ill but legally sane during the shooting, and suffers from schizoaffective disorder. In September 2016, Cinemark dropped all claims for reimbursement of legal fees. . [179][180], The Century 16 theater where the shooting occurred was rebranded as the Century Aurora theater by its parent company Cinemark Theatres. Debra was attacked in bed. AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) Update 7:16 p.m. Police said 39-year-old Nicholas Walker, who was wanted on attempted second-degree murder, was arrested without incident. [83] On April 1, the prosecution announced it had declined the offer. The victim, identified as Helene Michelle Brooks, 57, died as a result of blunt force injuries and her cause of death is also considered a homicide, according to the coroner's office. Join the Westword community and help support On Jan. 28, reports were made of gunshots outside Dick's Sporting Goods. Some believed he was playing a prank,[15] while others thought he was part of a special effects setup for the film's premiere, or a publicity stunt by the studio or theater management. [63], The injured were treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center, The Medical Center of Aurora, Parker Adventist Hospital, Rose Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, and University Hospital. "[158], Three victims sued Cinemark Theatres in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on September 21, 2012, for the company's alleged negligence in failing to provide adequate safety and security measures. Some of the most infamous Colorado murders include the 1996 murder of JonBent Ramsey, the 1984 murder of Mark Groezinger, the 2000 double murder of Nick Kunselman and Stephanie Hart-Grizzell, and the Watts family murders. She miscarried a week after the attack. He said he told her that he had a bad dream about his family but that she told him it was only a dream and not to worry about it. On July 28, Holmes' father pleaded for his son's life, stating that he is severely mentally ill. Alex Ewing is currently behind bars, serving four lifetimes in prison for crimes he committed nearly four decades ago. [13] Police evacuated five buildings surrounding his Aurora residence, which was about 5mi (8km) north of the cinema. The judge ruled in October that prosecutors could keep the items. She told him it was just a dream and to go back to bed, the affidavit said. Defense counsel sought and was granted a mental competence examination, which led to the first prosecution attempt ending in a mistrial. COLORADO SPRINGS He remembers the hum of the vacuum cleaner, the sound of closing time at the Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant where he worked in 1993.. He could have been eligible for parole this year, if DNA had not connected him to the Colorado killings. That separate case is set for trial in October. [99], On July 16, after jury deliberations, Holmes was found guilty of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of possessing illegal explosives, and a sentence enhancement of a crime of violence. [79], A judge ruled on August 30 that a notebook written by Holmes, in which he allegedly described a violent attack, was covered by physicianpatient privilege because it was addressed to his psychiatrist. On July 16, 2015, James Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against . [27] Some people reported the shooting via Twitter or text messaging rather than calling the police; officers were already at the theater by the time that the tweets were sent. [18] He fired a 12-gauge Remington 870 Express Tactical shotgun, first at the ceiling and then at the audience. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Victims & Timeline James Haubenschild: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Kimberly Haubenschild: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Donna Dixon (nee Holm), 28: January 4, 1984 (wounded) Patricia Louise Smith, 50: By Logan Smith. [44], Neighbors reported loud music from the apartment around midnight on the night of the massacre, and one went to his door to tell him she was calling the police; she said the door seemed to be unlocked, but she chose not to open it. [76] Colorado State District Court Judge William B. Sylvester, who was the trial judge overseeing the case, placed a gag order on lawyers and law enforcement, sealing the court file and barring the University of Colorado from releasing public records relating to Holmes' year at the school. Alex Christopher Ewing has been in a Nevada Prison for most of the past 34 yrs for a similar . Intent on revenge, he visited the restaurant at approximately 9:00pm. [38] The police interviewed more than 200 witnesses of the shooting. Holmes chose not to testify. A 21-year-old man with connections to his alleged victims was arrested and jailed on murder charges following the discovery of three . At least well know who it was, and it will be over, she said. . For Connie, who expects to testify about discovering her sons body, the trial offers a chance to find some peace after a lifetime of struggling with the fallout from the killings. [138] Members of the Denver Broncos also called or visited individuals at the hospitals. 11. [165], Judge R. Brooke Jackson stated that for theaters today, "One might reasonably believe that a mass shooting incident in a theater was likely enough (that is, not just a possibility) to be a foreseeable next step in the history of such acts by deranged individuals". The Police Department in Aurora, Colo., engaged in a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force, according to an investigation that began after the 2019 death of . Shelly Bradbury is the courts reporter at the Denver Post. Jurors were prohibited from learning about Ewing's conviction for the Bennett family trial in Arapahoe County when a discussion attempted to draw parallels between the two murder cases. He stayed until 9:50 then hid in a bathroom until after closing, emerging around 10:05. . Be the first one to comment on this story. Cesar J. Ponce, 19 . Around 7 p.m., Martinez went to the home in Aurora with his grandfather, his uncle and a family friend. Officers responded just after 8 a.m . Prosecutors offered their case as to why the trial should proceed, and defense lawyers argued that it should not. In 2021, Alex Ewing, aka the Hammer Killer, was found guilty of all charges involving the horrific 1984 killings of a couple from Aurora and their 7-year-old daughter. They concluded there was nothing suspicious and did not attempt to contact anyone in the home. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. [81][clarification needed], Also on January 7, lawyers for both sides argued whether to admit four unspecified prescription bottles and immunization records investigators had seized from Holmes' apartment when they searched it in July 2012, considering doctor-patient confidentiality laws. [170] This type of lawsuit had been anticipated in an August 2012 article co-authored by bioethicist Arthur Caplan which discussed the applicability of the landmark California Supreme Court decision in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976) to the facts of the Aurora shooting. APD informed the family of its findings. His DNA also was found in the Lakewood home of Patricia Smith, 50, who was killed six days earlier. [55] Four people's eyes were irritated by the tear gas grenades, while eight others sustained non-gunshot injuries while fleeing the theater. It began on January 7. [5], The shooting occurred in Theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex (operated by Cinemark Theatres), located in the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall[6] at 14300 E. Alameda Avenue. A blood trail led from the hallway outside the bedroom to the downstairs living room, where Bruces body was found. Bundy, Williams Chapter 16: 13. Days earlier, on Jan. 4, 1984, someone slipped inside an Aurora home and used a hammer to beat a couple, who both survived. [37], Following his arrest, Holmes was initially jailed at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, under suicide watch. [72], Holmes' booking photo was released and he first appeared in court on July 23, 2012. . [3][6] Witnesses said the multiplex's fire alarm system began sounding soon after the attack began, and staff told people in Theater 8 to evacuate. Aurora, Colorado Nathan Dunlap visits his former place of employment, shoots 5 former co-workers killing 4, and robs the store of $1,500. [40] Holmes' apartment complex is limited to University of Colorado Medical Center students, patients, and employees. Christopher Martinez is facing three counts of first-degree murder after he was arrested by Aurora police in the early morning hours of Dec. 11. [176][177] The results of a survey released on July 30, 2012, by the Pew Research Center suggested the incident did not change Americans' views on the issue. The affidavit said he told investigators he believed everyone was going to bed, grabbed some clothes and left to do laundry at their previous residence in Colorado Springs around 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Martinez told investigators he did call his grandmother but only spoke to her about the fight he had with his mother. He denied telling his grandma that and asked for an attorney. Asked one of her surviving sons to move in with her. Joseph Castorena, 21, went on the run after he allegedly fatally shot four people in an Aurora home on Oct. 30, with his brother and cousin now facing charges of accessory to murder after the fact . Some witnesses thought he was wearing a costume, like other audience members who had dressed up for the screening. Fortunately, they survived the attack. When its a random attack like that, its difficult to tie anyone to it, Connie said. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. DNA evidence ties Ewing to the crime. Follow @dh_ssarkauskas. Updated 3/3/2023 1:35 PM. [106] The appeal for clemency was rejected on August 3 under the basis that mitigating factors such as mental illness did not outweigh aggravating factors such as the number of casualties in the massacre. Arapahoe County district attorney George Brauchler said: "It's my determination and my intention that in this case for James Eagan Holmes justice is death. The murders took place after two people covered from head to toe . Events Shooting The shooting occurred in Theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex (operated by Cinemark Theatres), located in the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall at 14300 E. Alameda Avenue. [16], Holmes reportedly threw one canister towards the left[17] side of the theatre, emitting a gas or smoke, that partially obscured the audience members' vision, made their throats and skin itch, and caused eye irritation. September 29, 2021 [184], Bottom left: Map of Colorado with Aurora marked, James Holmes (mass murderer) Detention and pretrial court appearances, James Holmes (mass murderer) Verdict and sentencing, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, List of rampage killers in the United States, "Aurora, Colo theater shooting timeline, facts", "James Holmes appears in court being accused of killing 12 people in Aurora cinema shooting", "Officials release complete list of injured victims in Aurora massacre", "Colo. shooting DA says two evaluations found Holmes sane", "Theater shooter Holmes gets 12 life sentences, plus 3,318 years", "12 shot dead, 58 wounded in Aurora movie theater during Batman premier", "Family identifies 27-year-old victim of Aurora theater shooting", "James Holmes: Read timeline of his actions before and after Aurora theater shooting", "Long awaited trial begins for Aurora movie theater shooting defendant", "Gunman turns 'Batman' screening into real-life 'horror film', "Aurora shooting suspect left apartment "booby trapped," music blaring", "Aurora theater shooting trial adjourns for day", "Questions, but few answers, in Colorado shooting; 12 dead, dozens hurt", "Colorado theater shooting: 12 shot dead during The Dark Knight Rises screening", "Colo. theater trial adjourns for day after emotional 911 call", "Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates on Movie Shooting", "Rifle failure that stopped yet more batman carnage", "Colorado shooting spree could have been worse; shooter's gun jammed, official says", "Police: Suspect wore body armor, used assault rifle, shotgun, Glock handgun in theater attack", "Batman premiere gunman looked like 'assassin ready for war', "Aurora witnesses describe shooter's entrance, chaos", Aurora police testify in James Holmes' trial: 240 ballistic impacts found after theater shooting, "Police say Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes had 2 pistols, assault rifle, shotgun", "Sources: Shooter Took Prescription Drug Before Attack", "Aurora police sergeant describes lifesaving theater-shooting decision", "Colorado police officer says movie theater gunman was 'very calm', "New details emerge in hearing for Colorado theater shooting suspect", "Shooting suspect in court with orange-red hair", "Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Says He 'Was the Joker': Cops", "James Holmes claimed to be the Joker, NYPD Commish says", "James Holmes makes court appearance in Colorado theater shooting", "The Joker Didn't Inspire the Aurora Shooter, but the Rumor Won't Go Away", "Gun's magazine shaped the pace of Colorado theater massacre", "On video, theater gunman says killings got him 'value units', "Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes jailed in solitary: 'All the inmates were talking about killing him', "Aurora shooting: 12 dead as gunman opens fire at movie theater: as it happened", "Colo. shooting suspect James Holmes' apartment booby trapped, police say", "Slideshow: Aurora theater shooting scene, suspect's booby-trapped apartment", "Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: Suspect Bought 4 Guns, 6,000 Rounds of Ammunition in Past 60 Days", "Police at Home of Colorado Suspect Disarm Major Threats", "Official: Trap in Colorado suspect's home had 30 homemade grenades, gasoline", "Detonation and fire possible at Colo. apartment", "Massacre suspect's neighbor: 'I'm counting my lucky stars', "Loud Music Used To Lure People to Booby-Trapped Apt", "Theater massacre suspect appears in Colorado courtroom", "Movie massacre suspect mum; Batman mask found", "Photos: Residents allowed back into building where alleged shooter lived", "Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: 70 Victims the Largest Mass Shooting", "Colorado Massacre Could Have Been Worse", "Obama offers condolences, community grieves in vigil for DKR shooting victims", "50 dead, Islamic terrorism tie eyed in Orlando gay bar shooting", "Should the Colorado Theater Shooting Spur More Gun Control? He said they picked up some tequila and went back to the homehe, his mother and his sister had just moved to in Aurora. He told her he got blackout drunk and stabbed Kaden because he was talking too much, the affidavit said. They found Estancia with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head and the chest area and multiple stab wounds, which included the face. The document said Marisol also had multiple stab wounds to the face. In an interview on CNN, Teves' parents said they and the relatives of other victims believe the mass media coverage of Holmes' name and photo may inspire others to commit mass shootings for notoriety. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices.