More charges sought in deadly US theatre shooting

Denver: Prosecutors are seeking more charges against the suspect in the US theatre rampage that killed 12 in one of the worst mass shootings in the country’s history, a new court document says. The lead investigator in the case will appear at a hearing today as prosecutors try to get access to a notebook they think details a violent attack. [caption id=“attachment_462895” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AP[/caption] The document filed yesterday didn’t give details of the 10 more counts requested against suspect James Holmes. A judge has issued a gag order limiting what information lawyers can publicly disclose. Holmes has been charged with 142 counts, including murder and attempted murder, in the June 20 attack at a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie. Fifth-eight people were wounded in the shooting as the gunman roamed the darkened theatre. Defense attorneys have said Holmes is mentally ill. Prosecutors want access to a notebook sent by Holmes to a university psychiatrist that purportedly contains descriptions of a violent attack. But a judge on August 30 ruled that they could not disprove a doctor-patient relationship between Holmes and University of Colorado psychiatrist Lynne Fenton. The judge will address the issue again today. Prosecutors argue that the notebook is fair game because Holmes wasn’t going to be undergoing therapy because he planned to be dead or in prison after the shooting rampage. Deputy District Attorney Rich Orman has said detective Tom Welton, an investigator in the case, would testify today that Holmes posted profiles online before the shooting with the tagline, “Will you visit me in prison?” Holmes was a graduate student in the neuroscience programme at the University of Colorado. Prosecutors said Holmes did poorly on a key exam and withdrew on June 10 while he was stockpiling guns, ammunition and body armor ahead of the shooting. His apartment was found booby-trapped after the shooting. AP