Holmes in prelim court on January 7, 2013. (Pool photo by Bill Robles)
A Colorado judge ruled Thursday that there is enough evidence to try James Holmes for shooting and killing 12 people and wounding another 70 in a rampage at the Aurora multiplex in July. During a court hearing Friday, a father of one of the Aurora victims yelled out in court, “Rot in hell, Holmes.” Following the outburst, Judge William B. Sylvester told the father, “I am terribly sorry for your loss. I can only begin to imagine the emotions that this is raising,” before lecturing him on proper courtroom decorum. Sylvester ruled Thursday that there is sufficient evidence to tie Holmes to the 166 counts of murder, attempted murder, and other weapons charges—and ordered that Holmes continue to be held without bail. Holmes’s attorneys claim he is mentally ill, and it is not yet decided whether he can face the death penalty.