Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: Hundreds Of Never-Before-Seen Photos Released By Prosecutors

Warning: Some may find the graphic images contained within disturbing.

James Holmes was sentenced to life in prison for the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater which left 12 dead and numerous others injured. In the wake of the sentencing, the Aurora Police Department and Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office released some never-before-seen images from the horrific crime scene.

The Daily Mail reports that following the sentencing of mass murderer James Holmes, a series of photographs taken from the crime scene were released to the public. The never-before-seen photos show the bloody aftermath of the shooting which left 12 people dead. In the photographs, you can see the bullet-ridden movie theater where blood splattered the walkways and stairs. The seat cushions were torn apart by the flying bullets along with copious amounts of spilled popcorn and candy. One image showed a pair of bloody pink flip-flop sandals left behind as the victims fled the building.

In the photographs, you can see that that the mayhem eventually spilled over into the lobby and down the outside sidewalks. The sidewalks were splattered in blood with various pools of blood and piles of bloody clothing. Images also show James Holmes’ vehicle parked outside of the theaters emergency exit.

According to witnesses and the police report, James Holmes entered the Aurora, Colorado movie theater like any other movie patron. He watched about 20 minutes of The Dark Knight Rises alongside his victims before exiting the theater through an emergency exit. Holmes propped the door open with a plastic tablecloth holder before making his way to his parked vehicle where he put on tactical gear and a gas mask. He loaded his weapons and re-entered the theater through the propped open door. Holmes then fired on the unsuspecting crowd, first targeting those seated in their chairs and then those attempting to flee down the stairway.

After police arrested gunman James Holmes, they made their way to the madman’s home to continue their investigation. They found a series of booby-traps that included a number of explosives and home-made bombs.

What do you think of James Holmes’ life sentence? Should he have been put to death for the mass movie theater shooting in Colorado?

[Image Credit: Arapahoe District Attorney/ Aurora Police Department]