News / Human Rights

Colorado gunman knew what he was doing at time of massacre: Psychiatrist

Friday, 29 May 2015 6:10 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 29 May 2015 6:23 AM ]

James Holmes attacked a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people on July 20, 2012.

The man who massacred 12 people and injured 70 others at a movie theater in Denver three years ago, was legally sane and knew what he was doing, according to a Colorado court-appointed psychiatrist.

Doctor William Reid testified in the murder trial on Thursday that gunman James Eagan Holmes was definitely sane and "knew what he was doing" when he attacked movie theater in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012.

Reid who interviewed Holmes for 22 hours in July 2014, declared that whatever mental illness Holmes had, "it did not prevent him from forming intent and knowing the consequences of what he was doing."

In a footage shown to jurors, Reid asks Holmes "what brings tears to your eyes", to which he replies "Just regrets... usually it's before I go to sleep." When Holmes was asked "regrets about what?" he replied "about the shooting."

Reid said after spending about 300 hours for viewing more than a week of videos of Holmes in jail, he found “nothing to indicate insanity”.

The doctor, however, admitted Holmes had 'a serious mental illness' during the attack - but insisted that he still had the capacity to plan the killings, carry them out, and know that they were wrong.

Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. If the plea stands, he will go to a mental hospital. Otherwise, he would be executed for murder, under Colorado law.

Pages from a notebook belonging to James Holmes.

Earlier this week, prosecutors provided jurors with a notebook with Holmes handwriting, in which he planned a “mass murder spree” and considers theaters and times to attack for “maximum casualties.”

He sketched out a list of choices, including mass murder or serial murder, attack a theater or an airport, use guns, bombs or biological warfare.

Holmes also estimated time for the police response ('3 mins') and diagrams of the theater complex showing which auditorium had the fewest exits where victims might escape.

SB/GJH

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