James Holmes, the 24 year old man accused of opening fire in a Aurora, Colorado movie theater, was formally charged Monday with 140 counts of murder and attempted murder stemming from the brutal shooting.
In addition, Homes was charged with one count of possessing explosive material as well as a sentence enhancer, bringing the total counts to 142.
During a midnight showing of the film The Dark Knight Rises on July 20th, Holmes allegedly released some form of gas canisters and proceeded to shoot moviegoers with a semiautomatic weapon. 12 were killed and 58 were wounded.
Police later confirmed that the suspect’s apartment was equipped with explosives designed to detonate upon entry.
Holmes, a former neuroscience student, faces 24 counts of first degree murder and 116 for attempted murder. His preliminary hearing will take place on November 12th.
Monday’s hearing was not broadcast, but in Holmes’ first court appearance on July 23rd, a video stream showed the suspect appearing disconnected and disoriented.
