James Holmes: Read timeline of his actions before and after Aurora theater shooting
Through witness testimony, prosecutors this week laid out a timeline of the actions accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes took in the months before the July 20 attack. The earliest date mentioned was April 19, when he set up a Match.com profile. The last was July 19, when Holmes allegedly took photos of himself with shock-orange hair and posing with weapons. In between, he amassed a small arsenal. Continue for a full timeline.
We've compiled this timeline based on testimony from witnesses at a preliminary hearing in Holmes's case, which took place January 7, 8 and 9. Most of the witnesses were police officers who testified about the evidence they'd accumulated against Holmes.
June 2011: Holmes, who grew up in California, enrolls at the University of Colorado Denver as a neuroscience graduate student.
April 19, 2012: Holmes creates a Match.com account whose headline eventually reads, "Will you visit me in prison?" and features photos of him with orange hair.
May 10: Holmes buys two six-ounce tear gas grenades from an online retailer, according to ATF special agent Steven Beggs, who chronicled Holmes's weapons purchases.
May 22: Holmes buys a Glock .40 caliber pistol from a Gander Mountain store.
May 28: Holmes buys a Remington 870 tactical shotgun, as well as ammunition for both the shotgun and the handgun, from a Bass Pro Shop.
June 6: Holmes buys two pairs of handcuffs, a military first-aid kit and road stars meant to puncture tires from an online retailer.
June 7: Holmes fails his oral exams at the University of Colorado. Prosecutor Karen Pearson has said that his poor performance on those key exams is "very much relevant to what happened afterward."
Continue to read more of the James Holmes timeline before and after the July 20 Aurora theater shooting.
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
