On July 20, 2012, James Eagan Holmes opened fire during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at a Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. He was convicted in 2015 of 24 counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The Century 16 theater in Aurora CO - Shooting location — Credit: Algr · CC BY-SA 3.0
On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. James Eagan Holmes, then 24 years old, entered Theater 9 through an emergency exit door about 30 minutes into the film, dressed in tactical protective gear including a gas mask, ballistic helmet, and bullet-resistant clothing. He set off tear gas grenades and fired a 12-gauge shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round drum magazine, and a .40-caliber handgun into the audience, firing 76 shots total. Twelve people were killed, including an unborn child, and 70 others were injured, 58 of them by gunfire. A bullet also passed through a wall and struck three people in an adjacent theater screening the same film.
Police arrived within roughly 90 seconds of the first emergency calls after the shooting began and apprehended Holmes without resistance behind the cinema next to his car, where he was initially mistaken for a police officer due to his tactical gear. Holmes told police he had rigged his apartment, located about five miles from the theater, with homemade explosive devices. Officials evacuated surrounding buildings, and a day later a bomb squad disarmed a device wired to the apartment's front door before using a remote-controlled robot to disable more than 30 homemade grenades filled with gasoline.
Holmes was charged on July 30, 2012, with 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal possession of explosives (with additional attempted murder counts later added, for a total of 140 at trial). His attorneys disclosed in August 2012 that he was mentally ill, and he later confessed to the shooting but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. In March 2013, his lawyers offered a guilty plea in exchange for the prosecution not seeking the death penalty; Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler declined the offer and pursued capital charges.
The trial began on April 27, 2015. On July 16, 2015, Holmes was convicted on all charges: 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives. On August 7, 2015, the jury deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty. On August 26, 2015, Holmes was sentenced to 12 life sentences—one for each person killed—plus 3,318 years for the attempted murders and the explosives charge.
The shooting prompted increased security at theaters nationwide, a spike in gun sales in Colorado and other states, and renewed national debate over gun control. It led to civil litigation against Cinemark Theatres and the University of Colorado, and to Colorado's 2013 ban on high-capacity magazines. A memorial titled "Ascentiate," featuring 83 abstract birds representing the victims, was dedicated near Aurora Municipal Center in 2018.
Jonathan Blunk, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, Jessica Ghawi, Alexander Teves
Date
2012
Location
Century 16 theater (now Century Aurora), Aurora, Colorado
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2012-07-20
James Eagan Holmes opens fire during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 and injuring 70.
Holmes makes his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado.
2012-07-30
Colorado prosecutors formally charge Holmes with 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal possession of explosives.
2013-03-27
Holmes' lawyers offer a guilty plea in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty.
2013-04-01
Prosecution declines the plea offer, announcing intent to seek the death penalty.
2013-03-20
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper signs a law banning magazines holding 15 rounds or more.
2015-01-20
Jury selection begins.
2015-04-27
Trial begins.
2015-07-16
Holmes is convicted of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives.
2015-08-07
Jury deadlocks on whether to impose the death penalty.
2015-08-26
Holmes is sentenced to 12 life sentences plus 3,318 years.
2018-07-19
A memorial to the victims, titled "Ascentiate," is dedicated near Aurora Municipal Center.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Coffeehouse Crime / 33 min
The Morbid Case of The "Dark Knight" Massacre | 12 Fatalities...
People
Jonathan Blunk
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting; his estranged wife later sued the University of Colorado alleging a school psychiatrist could have prevented the attack.
James Eagan Holmes
CONVICTED
Convicted on July 16, 2015, of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives; sentenced to 12 life sentences plus 3,318 years.
Veronica Moser-Sullivan
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting; her mother, Ashley Moser, was critically wounded and later miscarried.
Jessica Ghawi
VICTIM
One of twelve people killed in the shooting; had previously survived the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto a month prior.
Alexander Teves
VICTIM
Killed in the shooting; his parents later founded the 'No Notoriety' media campaign.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
On July 20, 2012, James Eagan Holmes opened fire during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at a Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. He was convicted in 2015 of 24 counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Where did the shooting happen?
Century 16 theater (now Century Aurora), Aurora, Colorado.
Who was convicted?
James Eagan Holmes (Convicted on July 16, 2015, of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives; sentenced to 12 life sentences plus 3,318 years.).
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