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AFP - Getty Images file
James Eagan Holmes is accused of opening fire July 20 on a crowded theater at a showing of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., killing 12 people.
Aurora shooting suspect James Eagan Holmes was briefly in a romantic relationship with a fellow graduate student, but she was out of the country when the theater massacre took place, according to records released Wednesday by the University of Colorado.
The university released more than 1,500 emails from Holmes’ accounts, and another 2,300 emails in its system that that referenced Holmes — a response to Freedom of Information requests from KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Denver, and other news outlets.
About 1,000 of the emails that mention James Holmes were redacted, the Denver Post noted, and at least 1,200 emails written by Holmes were not released because the university deemed them private student records, and thus not subject to disclosure Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, KUSA reported.
The messages provide some new details about Holmes and the university's response to the tragedy, in which the former neuroscience student is accused of opening fire on a crowd at the July 20 premiere of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., killing 12 people and wounding 58.
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Among the revelations contained in the newly released documents was that Holmes had been romantically involved with another student in his graduate program, referenced in an email apparently written by an instructor or another student.
"Yeah, he was a grad student here, and, it turns out, had a brief romantic relationship with one of the grad students in my program last fall," the mail reads. "She, fortunately, it turns out is in India right now. She knows, and is pretty freaked out."
In an email, Holmes asks to participate in an fMRI study — which stands for "functional magnetic resonance imaging." In another he expresses interest in a family-medicine residency position.
Some of the email is the missives that flew back and forth as the details of the Aurora shooting emerged, with writers expressing horror and dismay.
"[Holmes] could have done this on campus instead of the movies," wrote one research assistant.
Once the university realized Holmes was a student of theirs, they instructed staff and students to not post on Facebook or Twitter about him.
Prosecutors pursue two-track strategy against James Holmes in Colorado massacre
What is not included in the emails are those that deal with Holmes' mental health history, the crime and any personal communication involving Holmes.
KUSA continues to review the emails. Many of the pages have the phrase "Privilege — Redacted in Full."
Holmes was arrested in the parking lot of the Century Aurora 16 theater shortly after the shootings and told officers his apartment contained explosives, police said. That information prompted evacuation of Holmes' apartment building and those surrounding it until law enforcement teams could disarm the jumble of wires and explosive devices set to detonate by trip wires.
He is facing two sets of first-degree murder charges for each of the of 12 deaths. He is also charged with 116 counts of attempted murder, as well as one count of illegal possession of explosives, according to court documents.
NBC News' M. Alex Johnson contributed to this report.
File - Ted S. Warren / AP
A memorial to the theater shooting victims went up July 24 in Aurora, Colo.
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Every time I see a pic of this guy, I'm reminded of something a co-worker told me many, many years ago. It still rings true today. "Beware the four-sided whites." Meaning, if you can see while all the way around someone's pupils, it's best to avoid them and keep an eye on them.
He is one crazy lookin dude. I would stay miles away from anyone that looks like this.
Not to be reading the book by its cover, but holy @!$%#!
substitute "judging" for "reading" above.
Never judge a book....
There is a medical condition that produces wide open bug eyes. I have forgotten its name.
I think he was trying to look crazy in this picture. It just looks like he's trying. Not that he necessarily needed to look that way to show he was nuts, but he probably thought he needed to.
Betcha anything he is gay, and was upset he couldn't have a relationship with a woman, in order to cover it up. Now, I am *not* disparaging the good people who are gay. But we know this kind of thing happens.
As far as his creepy looks go, unfortunately, many of today's women love the bearded, tattooed, pierced freaks. Especially those who served time in prison.
How could this woman be in a relationship, albeit a brief relationship, with this lunatic. Perhaps she's one of those liberal lunatics that condones extreme practices, such as marrying men that have no coherent mental state, or are sociopaths. Holmes is either insane, having been brainwashed by liberal thought processes', or committed this atrocity in the hopes that it would lead to stricter gun control laws, which would ultimately please liberals. I can see right through his guise. Holmes' actions are merely a figment of a liberally fueled conspiracy, which seeks to undermine conservatives such as myself and change America into a socialistic nation. I'm suprised that no one else grasped this as the motive for the crime. As usual, it's the liberals' fault. They molded him into the monster he is today.
Sociopaths can be quite charming....I have worked with a few that have been caught so I know this to be true.
Sociopaths are extremely charming... they actually manage to do QUITE well in business because of it. They did a study and found a larger amount than should be end up on wall street.
Also, while he is a crazy sociopath, I believe you are a paranoid self centered jerk. The entire world does not revolve around you and your conservatism, and it is not all plotting against you to make you some nameless automaton. There are not death camps in whatever state you aren't in waiting for Obama to give the word. Nancy Pelosi is not in your bushes, and I know quite a few liberals who support the right to bear some arms.
I actually believe conservatives are the ones that look at stricter gun laws meant to stop insane people from having these guns balk and talk about how their freedom is being infringed upon.
I also have never heard of "liberals" condoning marriage to a crazy person. In fact I believe the opposite is true, I see women encouraged by conservatives to marry controlling @!$%#s who still believe women are property because they are good "conservative" men.
@Texas....yeah because us Liberals love the lunatics! What a ridiculous statement. You act as if she was aware of his mental issues. Very often mentally-ill people can mask their illness quite well for periods of time.
Thing is you are trying to demonize a woman for the deeds of this a-hole. You should be ashamed!
Actually you display many of the same signs of paranoid schizophrenia that Holmes had. Unlike him and many others with that disorder you are unable to understand the system well enough to hide your delusions from those who would see them as crazy.
Now shut up you have done enough harm to conservatives and caused Texas enough embarrassment.
People like Texas Conservatism make me glad I moved out of The U.S. and only vote there now. (voted for Obama :D ) These types of people can seem very normal and then just explode. If they were so easy to spot, then nobody would ever pull this kind of stuff off as everyone around them would notice.
Remember, the Texas, Party of No is advocating to eliminate "higher level reasoning" and "critical thinking" from their state school curriculum.
The Party of Divine Rape represents the American Taliban.
Heck of a job, Republicons.
Jason, I agree about these types of people (probably a sociopath?) also, TC is something else alright (just not sure what)!? But, a right wing whack job for sure!:O
I voted for President Obama too BTW :D
I hope I can pull off the same one day Jason... The fact that there are large segements convinced Obama has death camps and is a secret muslim atheist socialist fascist blows my damn mind. Also, fox news and texas exists...
Obama is going to transform America into a socialist republic through Obamacare.....you just wait........
You're joking, right? You do know that "Obamacare" is for one, very similar to Massachusetts "Romneycare", no? And you love Romney. And you do know that "Obamacare" originated from a Republican think tank in response to Hilary Clinton's push for actual national healthcare. You know this right? You are a joke, right?
It's sad that liberals have stooped this low to find an intelligent but misguided young man such as Holmes and brainwash him into committing a senseless act of violence just to further their socialistic, liberal, and restricting agenda.
OMG i think he's on to me
damn, there goes my military funding again, at least I got all those sleepers out first...
That Texas conservationism guy is crazier than James Holmes. Somebody better keep an eye on HIM.
Typical liberal.....placing the blame where it doesn't lie. I'm ashamed you're from Texas...true Texans are among the most educated and sagacious people in the world. We recognize the farces that liberals use as facades for their immoral wrongdoings.
Hey Texas Conservatism.....I want to have your baby.....will you rape me? Oh....never mind....my vagina will reject your hateful issue.
ROFLMAO!!!!! :D
In response to TC-
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!
In response to Learnt Hick-
So would mine...yikes!!!!!! :O Guys got serious issues!
Yea TC is the kind of guy to shoot up a college trying to stop all those poor brainwashed students (getting degrees to make money and all those in conservative clubs) ... his paranoia is utterly disturbing and extreme to that extent...
What other than "he went to college" makes you think he was brainwashed? You one of those guys who is convinced he don't need no stinkin education cuz he does better dan dat?
Also, let me enlighten you on Texas, MA is more free. In TEXAS you can't buy certain toilets, but the oil companies can rape the water supply. In TEXAS you can't buy some soft drinks in some cities (other than national chains) because everyone was bought out in a monopoly (choice is freedom?). In SOUTH TEXAS there is ONE grocery store, because having choice is bad for freedom. Texas is nowhere near free, its actually one of the most restrictive states I have ever been to. You mistake not paying a state tax to freedom, then bitch about that gubment ruining your public safety, road maintenance, and public services. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Oh, please. Get real. Toilets in Texas are required to pass the plumbing code and health law requirements (not so in MA?), our water is just fine (albeit naturally a bit heavy in calcium carbonate and fluoride, etc. in West Texas), in some large areas of South and West Texas you won't see any people, let alone grocery stores, and there are no restrictions on soft drinks anywhere in Texas (but some hotels--owned by large parent companies--choose to not sell their competitor's products).
His romantic ties shouldn't even be news.The guy is mentally insane and belongs in a maximum security mental hospital.
I wish he had just done society a huge favor and killed himself. Preferably before taking the lives of all those innocent victims. :( No hospital can ever help him become a productive member of society, just as no prison can ever cure pedophiles...time to start thinning the herd people! :(
In all cases like this "privelege...redacted" means potentially embarrassing to university administrators.
Thank you! Finally somebody got it. Instead of the normal conservative vs liberal (AKA spy vs spy) drivel nobody noted the real sleeper in the article. The people who have the most to hide get to decide what gets seen or remains hiden.
I agree Cleaning Lady, except it could be part of the reason he went WAAAAAAY over the bend. Not saying she did anything wrong, it's just that some people don't handle rejection well. She should consider herself very lucky. Now if she can avoid any other people with mental problems like, oh, somebody who thinks everything is a liberal scheme.
roflmao
It is a liberal scheme because liberals are sneaky people that subjugate people by forcing them to accept their views and shoving them down their throat until they acquiesce to accept them. At least conservatives are honest and straightforward- look at Mitt Romney. Case and Point.
Indeed... Game, Set, Match (also rotfl).
I can't help but wonder if Texas Conservatism is a Poe, someone pretending to be a Christian to make Christians look bad. If TC is for real, hoo-boy. At any rate, I live in Texas, there is good and bad, but it really is annoying to be a red state. By the way, TC, did you know that per capita, red states have more people on public assistance than blue states? Reality has a liberal bias.
Paul don't confuse TC with actual facts!
Seems the popular way to try for an insanity plea is pose as a goofy idiot!
Can't the photographer make them pose without looking weird? They make me do it for MY drivers license. It's all done on digital media so we aren't surprised when the picture is "developed".
We could just photoshop the guy so you would be comfortable.
I'd much rather read a story of how the families that lost loved ones in this event are doing and how they're cooping with their first Xmas without their loved one. Glad I only skimmed the article.. he deserves no attention or the psychoanalysis.. wont be checkin back so rattle on
True, maybe his goal was to get attention? Feeds that @!$%#...
Holmes is a crazy liberal who majored in neuroscience so that he could rewire the brains' of his patients' to get them to approve of gay marriage.
Exactly, and people should know it's the job of religion to re-wire people's thoughts.
You just keep wearing your aluminum foil hat.
People like you give Texas a bad name.
Hahahahaha, now that was funny TC. I get it you are a troll! You can't possibly believe this stuff you spew....or can you? Gives me the chills to know that people like you actually exist, so I have to hope you are just pulling our chains!
I don't know who you are Texas Conservatism, but I was born in raised in the Great State of Texas, and I am from a long line of conservative Democrats, and for your information the Democrat party was the conservative party till 1965. When Reagan ran the Democrats that voted for him was fanatics. Like Grand Wizard David Dukes of the KKK, I am happy to see you go to the Republican party that is fixing to see the same demise as the Whig Party. For the liberals, The Texas Conservative Democrats supported Obama in 2008 and 2012. For everbodies information there is liberals and conservatives in all the parties. There is one thing that the federal government can learn from Texas and that is the people of Texas has the final say in an election whether a new tax is made or taxes are raised are lowered. This why Texas does not have income tax, because everytime that Republicans have but income tax on the ballot it has got shot down big time.
Assuming "TexasConfused" is not a troll, his posts do indicate significant cause for concern regarding his perception, anger, frustration or even mental health. And his posts are an embarrassment to clear-thinking Texans. Let's clear something up (even though this news item is about a tragedy in Colorado and not about political ethos in Texas; I do apologize for this divergence from the topic). In my experience, Texas is no doubt the most DIVERSE State of the many I've visited and lived in. We have all kinds of people here, inclucing the traditional, alternative, religious, atheistic, enlightened, insular, conservative, liberal, educated, illiterate, intelligent, stupid, balanced, crazy, hunters, PETA, beef lover, vegetarian, urban, agrarian, wealthy or desitute, as well as Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper drinkers. Texas is a good place to live, with good people, just like all of the other 49 states. Don't let misguided people further stereotype Texas or any other group of people. (And NO, we are not restricted to any soft drinks, grocery stores etc. That's just absurd.)
I don't want to offend anyone just make a point. Why don't you liberals want to hug him because society caused this and just ban guns? I'll tell you why; This guy was a nut case and everyone knew it. No one wanted him around or in their presence, stupid reasoning kept him from being locked up long ago. OK, crazy sob? lock them up. don't play liberal, its not his fault games, get them out of there! Why is he even alive yet? You want to pay to keep him alive? Just shoot him. WTH is the problem here.
The problem, Joe, is gun nuts like you who rage against gun control, and then burst out with sentiments like: "Just shoot him."
Tell me: what makes you and your "just shoot this kid" urge any different from that kid and his "just shoot these people" urge?
I'm not against people having guns. I'm against people like you having guns.
Well, I'm in favor of just shooting this perp. And I support gun rights for the sane.
Joe Done, you are right this guy is crazy, but he is the kind of crazy that seems normal like everybody else until something makes them crack. I am not for banning guns prime example look at England. Their bans on guns has not stopped people from killing each other or even hard for one person to kill another person. You asked the questions why is he even alive? The answer is simple. He is alive because of the American Legal System or did you forget that a person is innoccent until proven quilty in a court of law and that everybody has the right to their day in court even if their day in court can last for months. I hope that answers your questions.
Despite the NRA's arguments for self-defense, not a single shot was returned from the audience. As usual, people just started trampling over one another in a frenzy to run away. Given the prevalence of concealed carry in Colorado, I find it hard to believe that not a single person in the crowd was armed. It's the same with virtually every other mass shooting in the US. I know the people posting on these messageboards would have returned fire immediately, but it seems none of them can ever get away from their computers.
I'm not surprised that people attending the theater were not armed due to the average age of attendees.I'm also not surprised to see that this younger age group has no education in mental illness.They are smug thinking that mental illness will never strike they or their families.What should society expect from a generation whose babysitter's were video games and the internet.
I find it interesting that the response from the university included an email telling people not to talk about it and let the university do all the talking. I think that one of the biggest issues in these kinds of situations is that people avoid talking about things.
This article simply tells us that he had a girlfriend for a while, that email is private (which we already know), and that school faculty was glad the shooting did not take place on campus—which is a predictable thought.
Beyond that, we can read between the lines that the school was quite happy to keep email communications away from the public, not wanting their CYA, and NIMBY concerns locked away.
Poor girl. To even be mentioned in an article related to this crazed lunatic... If I can't convince you all to just hang him and cleanse the gene pool. then lock him on a box and throw away the key. I would never be convinced a mind like that kind be healed, treated or rehabilitated. So I don't care about an insane asylum or prison. Just get the rope or a steel box and be done with it. And leave that poor girl alone CNN. She didn't have a damn thing to do with it. Shame on you. Shame, Shame... It's not news what happened to her over a year ago... You get it? "new"s...
After seeing this guy's photo, is there any doubt he's from another solar system?