Colorado shooting suspect appears in court

The man accused of the massacre of a dozen people at a cinema in Colorado has appeared in court for the first time.

James Eagan Holmes was apprehended moments after the shooting during the screening of the
new Batman movie in the town of Aurora last Friday.

Fifty-eight people were wounded in the attack. Nine are still in a critical condition.

The 24-year-old is being held at a jail in the nearby city of Centennial in solitary confinement to protect him from other prisoners.

He is likely to face 12 counts of first-degree murder and could face other charges relating to assault and weapons violations.

Formal charges are expected to filed on July 30.

Police say they are still searching for a motive for the crime. Past associates say he displayed no hints of mental illness or violent tendencies. Holmes recently dropped out of a PHD programme in neuroscience at a local university.

Prosecutors are considering whether to press for the death penalty.

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