14 DAY TRIAL // The recent conversion to Islam by Aurora, Colorado shooter James Holmes has drawn criticism from other Islamic inmates that do not dub his actions as representative of their belief system.
As we have relayed in previous news articles, Holmes went on a shooting spree during a July 20 Dark Knight screening in Colorado and took the lives of 12 people.
58 more were wounded when he opened fire in the cinema, while donning orange hair and make-up reminiscent of the Batman character, the Joker.
“None of them condone forms of terrorism or extremism. [...] And they don’t want their religion to be connected to that awful shooting,” one source is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.
The shooter has now taken to praying five times a day and insiders claim that his new-found religious inclination is meant to justify his actions, in a bid to convince himself and others that he has acted out of a desire to rid the world of non-believers.
“He has brainwashed himself into believing he was on his own personal jihad and that his victims were infidels,” the source notes.
His hair is now dark brown and he has let his beard grow, presumably in accordance with Islamic standards for a man's appearance. A large part of his days in prison are spent studying the Qur'an, and the inmate has also opted for a Muslim diet.
In January, we mentioned that Holmes' attorney might pursue an insanity plea in his upcoming trial, but the strategy has not been confirmed at this point.
A non-guilty plea has been put forward earlier this month, as the prosecution and the defense prepare for the trial to commence on August 5.
On April 1, the state will reveal whether or not they will be asking for the death penalty in the Batman shooter's case.