It has been over three years since 27-year-old James Holmes opened fire in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, leaving 12 dead and 70 wounded. After a three-month trial one and a half days of deliberation, a jury concluded that the gunman, who plead not guilty by reason of insanity, was guilty of first-degree murder. The jurors will now listen to additional testimony to decide if Holmes’ crimes are punishable by death.
During Holmes’ trial, at least 200 people testified against him. Psychiatrists concluded that Holmes has a mental illness on par with schizophrenia, but is able to distinguish between right and wrong.
In what was considered one of the most devastating shootings in U.S. history, likened to the Columbine High School tragedy, Holmes set off a tear gas canister in a theater full of people watching the Dark Knight Rises. He then proceeded to fire an AR-15 rifle, 12-gauge shotgun, and .40 caliber handgun.
The shooting raised questions about the links between mental illness and gun violence. Many have connected mental illness with these types of violent attacks, and use mass shootings like the one in Aurora to call for better mental health care rather than stricter gun laws. But research shows that mental illness does not actually increase the likelihood of exhibiting violent behavior. Less than 5 percent of crimes are committed by people with mental illness. In fact, people with mental illness are targeted more frequently than others.
The shooting also reignited the tense and long-standing debate about national gun laws. Colorado passed a bevy of tougher gun restrictions in the wake of the Aurora theater massacre, sparking massive political backlash from the gun lobby.