Father of victim shouts at accused in cinema massacre trial

Four or five people walked out of court after judge William Sylvester postponed for two months a hearing to arraign James Holmes, the 25-year-old who is accused of shooting 12 moviegoers dead and injuring at least 58 others.

Following preliminary hearings this week it was ordered Thursday that Holmes will face trial over the late night massacre in Aurora, outside Denver, last July.

But the suspect's defense lawyers objected to the arraignment — the official laying of charges, when Holmes will enter a plea — on Friday, when it was meant to take place, and the judge postponed the hearing until March 12.

After the announcement several people left the court and shortly after Steve Hernandez, father of victim Rebecca Wingo, shouted “Rot in hell, Holmes!” prompting his immediate removal from the room by guards.

After the court settled he returned, and apologized. The judge told him: “I am so terribly sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the emotions that must be raging.” But he then asked Hernandez to follow the court's rules of conduct.

The victim's father replied: “I meant no disrespect to your honor. I can promise no more outbursts.”

Holmes is accused over the July 20 shooting at a midnight screening of the Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The massacre briefly revived America's perennial debate about gun control.

Witnesses said Holmes threw smoke bomb-type devices before opening fire randomly with weapons including an AR-15 military-style rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a .40-caliber pistol.

Over three days earlier this week, prosecutors called witnesses who gave chilling accounts of the slaughter, and played 911 emergency calls in which the chaos and loud booms of gunshots could be clearly heard.

Holmes's lawyers had been expected to present witnesses to bolster a case that he may be mentally unfit to stand trial.

But in the end they announced they would not, and the judge ruled Thursday, in an order posted online, that prosecutors had established there was “probable cause” to believe the defendant committed the crimes.

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