Aurora shooting Mia Webb Kelsie-Tia Walmsley

Background. On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. The sole suspect, James Eagan Holmes, was arrested outside the cinema minutes later. It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

Victimology. 12 people died, 70 injured. Range of ages. Multiple weapons were used to kill the victims.

How they got caught. On July 20, 2012, police arrested an unresisting Holmes next to his car behind the Century 16 theatre, moments after the 2012 Aurora shooting, in which Holmes allegedly set off several gas or smoke canisters and then opened fire on the theatre audience, killing 12 and wounding 70. The responding officers recovered several guns from inside the car and the theatre. According to two federal authorities, Holmes had dyed his hair orange and had called himself "The Joker". The claim that Holmes had called himself "The Joker" was later retracted by police from news sources such as Face The Nation on the CBS News network. Once apprehended, Holmes told the police that he had booby-trapped his apartment with explosive devices before heading to the theatre. Police later confirmed the presence of explosives in the apartment.

Evidence and trial. Holmes made his first court appearance in Centennial, Colorado on July 23, before Judge William B. Sylvester. On July 30, Colorado prosecutors filed formal charges against Holmes that included 24 counts of first degree murder, 116 counts of attempted murder, possession of explosive devices, and inciting violence. On August 9, Holmes's attorneys said their client is mentally ill and that they need more time to assess the nature of his illness. On September 19, the prosecution filed a motion to add 10 new charges against Holmes and asked to amend 17 others. The additional charges would bring the total counts Holmes faces to 152. On March 27, 2013, Holmes's attorneys said he would be willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty. On March 28, prosecutors said they are not ready to accept Holmes's offer to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty and also criticized the offer as a ploy. The trial, initially scheduled for October 2014, was delayed to December 8.

Punishment. No punishment had been decided yet as trial isn't until December 2014.