Colorado Theater Shooting Jury Has Plumber, Lawyer, Firearms Expert, Columbine Survivor
Theater shooting jury has plumber, lawyer, firearms expert, Columbine survivor.
-- Twelve jurors -- nine women and three men -- are expected to deliver a verdict this afternoon in their second day of deliberating the fate of admitted Aurora, Colorado, theater gunman, James Holmes.
They were selected from a jury pool of roughly 7,000 people and include a plumber, a lawyer, a firearms expert and a Columbine survivor.
Holmes is on trial for allegedly murdering 12 moviegoers and injuring 70 more on July 20, 2012, when he opened fire inside a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Here is a closer look at the individual jurors:
JUROR #640, FEMALE -- Works as a plumber. She has a son in the Marines and a daughter in the Army. In court, she has been known to wear Harley Davidson clothing with a bandanna, and rarely appears to show emotion.
JUROR #17, FEMALE -- A lawyer who says she is also the caregiver to both of her parents. During jury selection, she noted that the death penalty rarely should be used, and has been very quiet throughout the trial.
JUROR #737, MALE -- Small business owner with connections to Colorado’s other infamous mass shooting: Columbine. He has said he was friends with the Columbine gunmen until eighth grade, and even took a fellow Columbine student to prom a week before she was murdered.
JUROR #329, FEMALE -- Previously worked as a victim advocate for the Aurora Police Department and says she was once the victim of a burglary. During jury selection, she said she would look at the nature of each crime individually, but maintained that James Holmes should be held accountable.
JUROR #535, FEMALE -- She said her niece was in the cafeteria at Columbine the day of the shootings. She was married to a police officer and, during voir dire, shared that she was once hospitalized with depression after her divorce. She has said she would not have a problem with any backlash from the community should the jury find Holmes insane.
JUROR #87,FEMALE -- During jury selection, said that if a person is presumed innocent, it should be up to the prosecution to prove otherwise. She majored in biology in college. She has said she has a son who has a drug problem.
JUROR #118, FEMALE -- Works as a firearms expert and has a background in explosives. “It’s OK to rely on your expertise to help you make decisions,” Judge Carlos Samour told her. Her son is an Iraq veteran and she has said her son-in-law has PTSD. She has appeared very attentive in court.
JUROR #378, FEMALE -- A former paramedic who has said she often transported mentally ill people. During trial, a bailiff once accused her of sleeping in court, but she said she was just resting her eyes. She was allowed to stay and, from then on, paid very close attention.
JUROR #155, MALE -- Has said he was in California at time of shooting and, during jury selection, said he didn’t know many facts about the case, including how many were killed. He has said he takes mental illness very seriously. He told the judge he believed strongly in the death penalty when he was younger, but now wants to hear all of the facts before he makes that decision.
JUROR #527, MALE -- Works as a manager at Bed Bath & Beyond. During jury selection, he revealed that he knew one of the witnesses and is Facebook friends with a manager of the store where Holmes bought his shotgun. He maintained that he could be a fair and impartial juror.
JUROR #557, FEMALE -- During jury selection, she noted that this is a huge case, and overwhelming for her. She said each charge relates to a name and a person and has said she considers Holmes a human being. “It’s scary. It won’t be easy on easy on us,” she said.
JUROR #311, FEMALE -- She said during jury selection that she wanted to hear from Holmes’ parents. During trial, she appeared to connect with the prosecution, often laughing at the district attorney’s jokes and occasionally appearing to scowl at the defense attorneys.