AURORA, Colo. July 26, 2012 -- The movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., was not the city's first massacre. James Holmes / Aurora, Colorado Movie Theater Shooting < Prev Chapter. The victim's ranged in age from 20 to 65 and Mayor Sam . Now investigators are working to determine whether a Nevada convict named Alex Christopher Ewing is that man. [135], Christopher Nolan, the film's director, spoke on behalf of his cast and crew and called the event "savage" and "devastating". I think I hurt them. She also said he was hyperventilating at some point. [90], On May 26, details of Holmes' notebook, reportedly found in a university mail room addressed to his psychiatrist Lynne Fenton, were entered into evidence at the trial for the first time. [3] The massacre was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. He could have been eligible for parole this year, if DNA had not connected him to the Colorado killings. [86], The trial started on April 27, 2015. [22][23] He shot first to the back of the room, and then toward people in the aisles. But I think there has to be some kind of justice. [4] This number was later surpassed by the 107 victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and eventually the 927 victims of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. After a 11-day hiatus, he attacked Roy Williams at his home in Kingman, Arizona, using a rock. [115][116] On July 22, President Obama met with victims and local and state officials and gave a nationally televised speech from Aurora. Colorado Sun staff & wire report 8:31 PM MDT on Oct 30, 2022. They were living in Aurora and planned to make a life together there. Henry from the My Corona series.". [51][52] Seventy were hit by bullets, and were reported by mainstream news as the most victims of any mass shooting in United States history. 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. After that, parole is a . James Holmes was another of the Colorado serial killers. [53][54] This figure would not be surpassed until the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, which killed 49 people and injured 58 others for a combined total of 107 casualties. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. A psychiatrist who spent hours talking with mass murderer James Holmes says that what led Holmes to open fire in a crowded Colorado movie theater was a one-of-a-kind vortex of his mental illness . Then, just as the community was reeling from this attack, 50-year-old Patricia Smith became a murder victim at her Lakewood, Colorado, home on January 10, 1984. [148], Cinemark agreed to pay any funeral expenses incurred by the deceased victims' families not covered by the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund. Xin cho cc bn, ti l Aurora Z. Bn c th gi ti l Aura v cho mng n vi knh ca ti ( Speaking Vietnam ) My Fav Fandom: Murder Drone ( My Super Fav . [166] Attorney Christina Habas, who represents several theater victims, has said: "We essentially don't have a single photograph, a single piece of evidence that we can show to a jury". DNA, thats a miracle. When its a random attack like that, its difficult to tie anyone to it, Connie said. Defense counsel sought and was granted a mental competence examination, which led to the first prosecution attempt ending in a mistrial. The Aurora Police Department . [55] Four people's eyes were irritated by the tear gas grenades, while eight others sustained non-gunshot injuries while fleeing the theater. Looked sideways at people in the grocery store. It began on January 7. In June 2016, a federal judge dismissed the last claims in the lawsuit. Joseph Michael Ervin, left, has been identified through DNA as a serial killer who, in addition to Aurora (Colo.) police Officer Debra Sue Corr, clockwise from top middle, killed Madeleine Furey . It also had details of his planning for the shooting, which prosecutors said indicated Holmes premeditated the attack. Cesar J. Ponce, 19 . The disclosure was made at a court hearing in Centennial, Colorado, where news media organizations asked a judge to unseal court documents in the case. He was then linked to the Bennett killings and later to Smith's murder. The passenger sees something in the ditch and makes the driver go back. Ewing carried out four violent attacks in Denver over the course of a 12-day period in January 1984, three of which occurred in Aurora - assaults on survivors Donna Holm, Jim and Kim Haubenschild, and the Bennetts. 11. She declined to talk to TV news reporters or put Vanessas picture on the news. [155][156] AMC Theatres announced it would "not allow any guests into our theatres in costumes that make other guests feel uncomfortable and we will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings". Dressed in tactical clothing, 24-year-old James Holmes set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms. [145] Warner Bros. [36] Holmes was found carrying a first aid kit and spike strips, which he later admitted in an interview he had planned to use if police either shot at or chased him. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Both parents were bludgeoned with a hammer, and the attacker also used a knife. On March 22, an unknown gunman was seen on livestream rampaging through a grocery store with an AR-15-style rifle in Boulder, Colorado. Police say DNA evidence links Alex Ewing to the 1984 murders of three members of Bruce and Debra Bennett and their 7-year-old daughter Melissa, left. Shelly Bradbury is the courts reporter at the Denver Post. Here is a look at the July 20, 2012, movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Martinez called his grandparents again around 8 a.m. and told them he wanted to come to see them. DENVER - An Arapahoe County jury on Friday found 60-year-old Alex Ewing guilty of killing three members of an Aurora family with a hammer in January 1984 in a case that went cold until DNA evidence linked him to the murders in 2018. Suspect Charges: Murder, Attempted Murder", "Colorado movie massacre suspect to be formally charged", "Lawyers: Colo. 26. It made it very difficult for her to lead a normal life She doesnt really remember anything about the initial attack, but over the years she had a lot of nightmares., The familys slaying was part of a string of hammer attacks in January 1984 that former Aurora police Chief Nick Metz said shocked the conscience of our community.. He said he had a fight with his mom over his room being dirty but told them it was small and was not a big deal.. OJ Simpson / The Glove Didn't Fit Chapter 17: 14 . [163][164] On January 24, 2013, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hegarty issued a recommendation that most of the claims be thrown out, as they were not allowable under Colorado law. 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. Alex Christopher Ewing has been in a Nevada Prison for most of the past 34 yrs for a similar attack there. Jump to Chapter Chapter 1: Aberrations Chapter 2: Synopsis Chapter 3: About The Author Chapter 4: 1. . [8] There were about 400 people inside theater 9. [157] Security Director News raised the possibility in a July 23 article that "the massacre could be a Virginia Tech for movie theaters, causing security to become a bigger part of the conversation and more stringent security procedures to be adopted at theaters across the country. iwondergallery. Around 3:40 p.m. on September 25, APD officers found a male suffering from a gunshot wound and another man who appeared to have been stabbed at 1575 North . AURORA, Colo. ( KDVR) A 21-year-old suspect is accused of killing his mother and siblings after they were found dead in their . She was hospitalized in a coma with serious facial injuries that left her paralyzed on her left side, Connie said. "[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. Alex Ewing, 60, was found guilty by a jury, The Denver Post reported, after a trial in which prosecutors argued DNA evidence . [95] In the following week, two additional jurors were dismissed; the first due to emotional problems following the shooting of a family member, the second for recognizing a survivor who was wounded in the massacre. Murder-suicide in upscale home. [133] Other major film studios joined Warner Bros. in withholding early box office numbers on July 21. On August 7, the jury deadlocked on whether to impose the death penalty. The judge ruled in October that prosecutors could keep the items. , Utah governor says he plans to sign abortion clinic, Students weigh in on school resource officer debate, Suncor to restart plants, expects late March reopening, Assault weapons ban introduced in Colorado, Advocates, community urge lawmakers to act on guns, Twins walking in all 50 states for foster kids, 100s march to Capitol, demand tougher gun laws, Denver weather: Pleasant weekend before snow, cold, Bruce Springsteen surprises shop owner before concert, Man faces charges after LoDo fight victim dies, Ramsey house in Boulder on market for $7 million, Person of interest identified in Boulder shooting, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Published 3:23 PM EDT, Sun October 30, 2022. [138] Members of the Denver Broncos also called or visited individuals at the hospitals. CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) A former Nevada prison inmate was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the long-unsolved 1984 hammer and knife slayings of three Colorado family members, including a 7-year-old girl. [72], Holmes' booking photo was released and he first appeared in court on July 23, 2012. He . [82], On March 27, Holmes' lawyers offered a guilty plea in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty. [117][118][119][120][121] Many world leaders sent their condolences, including Queen Elizabeth II,[122] French President Franois Hollande,[123] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,[124] Russian President Vladimir Putin,[125] and Pope Benedict XVI.[126]. It isnt. Martinezs uncle remained at the scene with Martinezs grandmother who was later questioned by police. The discovery was made once Nevada prison authorities began collecting convicts' DNA (Ewing was already incarcerated at the time) and uploading it to the CODIS national database of the FBI. 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. The Lakewood Police Department believe there are two groups involved. 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. [149] Cinemark closed the entire Century Aurora 16 multiplex in the wake of the shooting but reopened January 17, 2013, with a 40-minute ceremony led by Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, followed by a showing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. [182][183], A memorial to the victims of the attack was installed near Aurora Municipal Center, some 850m (929.57yd) from the theater, and dedicated on July 19, 2018, one day before the sixth anniversary of the attack. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Triple-homicide suspect accused of killing mother, siblings. Hammer Killer suspect to stand trial 37 years, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , Hammer Killer suspect to stand trial 37 years after slaying of Aurora family, Colorado Hammer Killer suspect wont face death penalty in 1984 slayings, Murder suspect known as the Hammer Killer arrives in Colorado decades after cold case killings shook metro region, Ruthless hammer killer put Denver residents on edge in early 1984, 1984 Colorado hammer killer was no criminal mastermind, just an average burglar who evolved into a predator, FBI profiler says, Missing indigenous person alert issued out of Thornton for endangered teen, Man wanted in Adams County on 13 counts of child sex assault is arrested in Denver, After teens death, Denver East High students walk out to advocate for gun legislation, spree of attacks by the so-called Hammer Killer duringa 12-day span, Ewing was imprisoned just months after the killings, After School Satan Club launching first Colorado chapter, but organizer promises "we are not devil worshippers", PHOTOS: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band play Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado landlords say eviction-protection proposal could make dropping problem renters too hard, No more greasy pizza boxes, paper towels or takeout containers in Front Range compost bins come April 1, After teen's death, Denver East High students walk out to advocate for gun legislation, 5 can't-miss menus for Denver Restaurant Week, Metro Denver housing market crosses firmly into negative territory in February, Denver Botanic Gardens announces 2023 Summer Concert Series lineup, Kiszla: With Brendan Rodgers down and out, Kris Bryant could become $182 million face of worst team in Rockies history, Boulder house where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Five men Jonathan Blunk, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Jesse Childress, and Alexander C. Teves died protecting their girlfriends or friends. [114] Both Obama's and Mitt Romney's campaigns temporarily suspended television advertising in Colorado for the 2012 presidential election. Colorado hammer killer, aka Alex Ewing, was found guilty in the Bennetts' and Patricia Smith's murder cases in 2021 and 2022, respectively. 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. [10][11] About 30 minutes into the movie, police say, around 12:30a.m.,[12] he reentered the theater through the exit door. A 61-year-old man learned this week he'll die behind prison bars after being sentenced to three consecutive life sentences for the 1984 murders of a Colorado couple and their 7-year-old daughter . Ewing didn't speak during his sentencing hearing. THOSE with their eyes to the skies on Sunday night (February 26) may have caught a very rare sighting of the northern lights. The studio canceled the film's gala premieres in France, Mexico, and Japan,[128][129] scaled down its marketing campaign in Finland,[130][131] and decided not to report box office figures for the movie until July 23. [citation needed], On January 2, 2013, prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case returned to court in advance of the preliminary hearing, the public's first officially sanctioned look at the evidence, due to the gag order. He told her he got blackout drunk and stabbed Kaden because he was talking too much, the affidavit said. [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. [25], The first phone calls to emergency services via 9-1-1 were made at 12:39a.m. Police arrived within 90seconds[26] and found three .40-caliber handgun magazines, a shotgun, and a large drum magazine on the floor of the theater. At the conclusion, Judge Sylvester decided there was enough relevant, admissible evidence to proceed to a trial. Updated 3/3/2023 1:35 PM. [89] Holmes was represented by the Colorado State Public Defender. Woman stabs man she is staying with in Aurora hotel. Violent crimes in Aurora, including homicides, non-fatal shootings, aggravated assault, sex assaults and robberies, increased by nearly 16 percent from 2021, based on police data. Earlier this year, he was found guilty of first-degree murder of Patricia. She was pushed or fell to the bedroom floor, and died there. [73][74][75], On July 30, Colorado prosecutors filed formal charges against Holmes, including 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal possession of explosives. Authorities are searching for a suspect in an overnight shooting that left four people dead at a home in Aurora. independent local journalism in Denver. Gun sales increased in Colorado, and political debates were generated about gun control in the United States. In May 2016, after years of legal debate, a jury took three hours to deliver a unanimous verdict that the theater chain was not liable to any degree for the tragedy that transpired. Four people, including one woman and three men, were fatally shot in an Aurora, Colorado home early Sunday morning in a domestic . Because of his tactical clothing, Holmes was at first mistaken for another police officer. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families. One recent report noted that "the gun murder rate in the U.S. is almost 20 times higher than the next 22 richest This past summer a young man named James Holmes bought four guns at local shops and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the Internet in the two months prior to opening up inside a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. APD informed the family of its findings. [43] The apartment held more than 30 homemade grenades, wired to a control box in the kitchen and filled with at least 30USgal (110L) of gasoline. Aurora's highly critical review did not . AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) A 21-year-old suspect is accused of killing his mother and siblings after they were found dead in their Aurora home Saturday night, according to an affidavit FOX31 received. Holmes was dressed in black and wore a gas mask, a load-bearing vest, a ballistic helmet, bullet-resistant leggings, a bullet-resistant throat protector, a groin protector, and tactical gloves. Please logout and login again. Ewing was found guilty on Aug 6, 2021 in the 1984 Bennett family Murders in Aurora, Colorado. The day before Melissas birthday. -- Authorities with the federal prison system revealed overnight that convicted mass murderer James Holmes, serving multiple life sentences for a 2012 massacre at an Aurora, Colorado movie . local news and culture, Michael Roberts Walker is a former FBI profiler who worked on the case of a hammer killer responsible for four Aurora and Lakewood murders in 1984. Note: This case is now SOLVED! 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. [78] Prosecutors alleged on August 24, 2012, that Holmes told a classmate he wanted to kill people four months before the shooting. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Ewing was convicted of killing 27-year-old Bruce and 26 year-old Debra Bennett, as well as their 7-year-old . history. Earlier, he had rigged his apartment with homemade explosives and incendiary devices. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. Nearly three years later, Holmes was found guilty of all the 165 counts brought against him, and he was sentenced . Your chance of being a victim of murder in Aurora may be as high as 1 in 33,918 in the north neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 45,558 in the . To me, it just means that there is a God.. Some witnesses thought he was wearing a costume, like other audience members who had dressed up for the screening. On July 16 of that year, Holmes was convicted of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives. The investigation began at approximately 12:45 p.m. Sunday, when the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at a residence of 502 Carnahan Street in Marquette. [31][33][34] Later, the Colorado district attorney who prosecuted Holmes said he never called himself The Joker, and blamed the federal officials for the rumor. It finally ended on Aug. 9, 1984, in Nevada, where he was . [71], On November 16, 2012, the Aurora Victim Relief Fund announced that each family of the dead would receive $220,000. 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.. On March 3, 1967, Charles Brett Lange was found legally insane & sent to the Colorado State Hospital instead of prison. [136] Christian Bale, who plays Batman in the film series, privately visited victims on July 24. Face of the man accused of 1984 Hammer Attack Triple Murder in Aurora & Lakewood Murder. Only 3-year-old Vanessa, at right, survived. [29] Two federal officials said that Holmes had dyed his hair red and called himself "The Joker", although authorities later declined to confirm this. Now that the victims have received their fair share of justice, ID's People Magazine Investigates plans to retrace the steps back to 1984, when the Hammer Killer went on a 12-day-long murder spree. According to Teves' father, the campaign's incentive is to encourage media outlets to limit the usage of the suspect's name and photos when reporting about the Aurora shooting, as well as other mass shootings that receive national media coverage. She was found bludgeoned with a hammer, with about 17 wounds to the head. [86][88] Jurors examined the evidence for thirty minutes. Officers responded just after 8 a.m . [13] He was listening to techno music through a set of headphones so that he could not hear anything from people in the theater. Aurora, Colorado Nathan Dunlap visits his former place of employment, shoots 5 former co-workers killing 4, and robs the store of $1,500. [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. According to press reports, he seemed dazed and largely unaware of his surroundings. James, a young man not even twenty-five years old yet, had married his wife Kim in August of 1982. Alex Christopher Ewing has been in a Nevada Prison for most of the past 34 yrs for a similar . Bloody bootprints were found throughout the house. The Bennetts were dressed for bed when they were attacked. Join the Westword community and help support In Aurora, Colorado, Paula Sue Steinbach disappeared from her neighborhood around 8:00 p.m. on . [168] The judge allowed Cinemark Theatres to submit a bill of costs to the plaintiffs to recover expenses due to the litigation, as Colorado state law allows for prevailing parties. Link Copied! Because theyre gone. Fearing copycat crimes, movie theaters showing the same film across the US increased their security. [101], The sentencing phase began on July 22. DNA evidence ties Ewing to the crime. Follow @dh_ssarkauskas. He is accused of opening fire in a movie theater July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 70. He told her that he went upstairs and told Estancia and Marisol what he had done and they didnt believe him. The Starved Rock, Illinois Murders Chapter 15: 12. Connie discovered her sons body the next morning, on Jan. 16, 1984. Ahead of the People Magazine Investigates' episode titled The Colorado Hammer Killer, which is scheduled to arrive this Monday, July 11, here are five appalling facts about Alex Ewing. 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. Susan Sarkauskas. Director Christopher Nolan's reaction to the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado.