James Holmes, the suspected gunman in the shooting at the Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado during the midnight screening of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on Friday, is scheduled to appear in court for the first time today, Fox News is reporting. Prosecutors are saying Holmes could face the death penalty after killing 12 people and injuring 58 others in the attack.

Authorities are saying Holmes is refusing to cooperate during the investigation. He’s being held on suspicion of first-degree murder, and he could also face additional counts of aggravated assault and weapons violations.

District Attorney Carol Chambers said her office is considering pursuing the death penalty. The decision, which could be made in weeks or months, will come after the victims’ families will be consulted.

Law enforcement officials added that they found multiple booby traps and ammunition in Holmes’ apartment. Officials also removed 10 gallons of gas that appeared ready to explode, and burn the building down.

Police also said that Holmes began buying guns at Denver-area stores two months before the shooting. He also received at least 50 packages at his home and school in the four months before the shooting. He recently purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the Internet, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oats said.

Written by: Karen Benardello

James Holmes Court Appearance Death Penalty

By Karen Benardello

As a graduate of LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic, Karen Benardello serves as ShockYa's Senior Movies & Television Editor. Her duties include interviewing filmmakers and musicians, and scribing movie, television and music reviews and news articles. As a New York City-area based journalist, she's a member of the guilds, New York Film Critics Online and the Women Film Critics Circle.

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