For three years, the mass murders at a Colorado movie theater has carried a heavy emotional weight in Rancho Peñasquitos, where convicted shooter James Holmes grew up.
So when a jury decided Friday that Holmes will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole – avoiding the death penalty – residents of the San Diego neighborhood showed great compassion for the defendant’s parents, Robert and Arlene, who still live in the area.
“It's always a shock when something is that close to home. Obviously you think of horrible things happening other places,” neighbor Michelle Vulda said.
Neighbors of the Holmes family went about their afternoons as usual, but Friday’s decision was top of mind.
They know Robert and Arlene from decades of living in the same area. The Holmes attend the Peñasquitos Lutheran Church, and James graduated from Westview High School and did an internship at the Salk Institute in La Jolla.
But his parents have been in Colorado since his trial began, anxiously awaiting the outcome and vying for the jury to decide against the death penalty.
Holmes’ defense team argued he was not guilty by reason of insanity in the bloody July 2012 attack that left 12 dead and 70 injured in an Aurora movie theater.
But last month, the jury found Holmes guilty on 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140-counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possession explosives.
When the jury announced Friday that Holmes would not get the death penalty, Arlene began crying and put her head on her husband Robert's shoulder.
“My heart goes out to all the families,” Rancho Peñasquitos resident Ruth Head said. “It is fairly obvious the pain and heartbreak they were suffering and nothing can ever change that so we rely on God's grace in that regard and also to his family, maybe people have a harder time seeing that. This man's family is suffering as well.”
Holmes' parents did not respond to reporters’ questions afterward but did release this statement through family attorney Lisa Damiani:
"The Holmes family is unable to make any comment at this time other than to say that they are deeply sorry this has happened, and they are so sorry that the victims and families have suffered such tremendous loss.”
Holmes was not immediately remanded to prison. His official sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 24.
