James Holmes: Tries to Kill Himself in Jail, Now Released From Hospital

Impact

James Eagan Holmes, the 24-year-old suspected perpetrator of the July 20 mass shooting that killed 12 and wounded 58 at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater — during a midnight showing of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises — was released from the hospital last week following an alleged suicide attempt. 

Holmes was hospitalized on Tuesday, and released on Thursday, after trying to kill himself by banging his head against the wall in a "half-hearted" suicide attempt. "The Batman Shooter," as Holmes is also known failed at his apparent suicide attempt but succeeded at postponing his next court hearing (which was rescheduled by Judge William Sylvester for December 10).

Holmes has also inspired at least one copycat. Blaec Lammers, a 20-year-old disturbed Indiana man, had planned to storm a local movie theater where the movie Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 was playing and start shooting the audience — just like Holmes did on July 20in Colorado.

But the wannabe shooter’s mom, who contacted the police and told them that her son was “off his medication” and that he had bought guns and ammunition to carry out the movie theater attack, foiled the plot.  

Meanwhile, Judge Sylvester denied victims of the Aurora shooting access to sealed documents in the trial of James Holmes, because releasing these documents would "jeopardize the defendant's right to a fair trial."