A jury has found the shooter in the Colorado massacre of 12 people that also left 70 injured, guilty of murder in the first degree.
A jury has found James Holmes guilty of first degree murder in the infamous 2012 massacre at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater. Twelve people were shot to death and another 70 injured.
Holmes, who was heavily armed, was captured alive. He pled guilty by reason of insanity. It’s not yet known how that defense will affect the penalty phase, which begins Monday. During that period, jurors will decide Holmes’ fate. The death penalty is possible, although Colorado hasn’t executed any prisoner since 1997.
The jury deliberated less than two days, just 13 hours, before returning the verdict this evening, “rejecting pleas from defense lawyers that Mr. Holmes, 27, had a severe mental illness and was not legally responsible for his actions on the night of July 20, 2012,” the New York Times adds.
The district attorney is seeking the death penalty.
“During Holmes’ trial, at least 200 people testified against him,” ThinkProgress reports. “Psychiatrists concluded that Holmes has a mental illness on par with schizophrenia, but is able to distinguish between right and wrong.”
In what was considered one of the most devastating shootings in U.S. history, likened to the Columbine High School tragedy, Holmes set off a tear gas canister in a theater full of people watching the Dark Knight Rises. He then proceeded to fire an AR-15 rifle, 12-gauge shotgun, and .40 caliber handgun.
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This is a breaking news story and has been updated.