Theater Gunman Admits 'Regrets' About Shooting to Psychiatrist

ByMEGHAN KENEALLY ABCNews logo
Friday, May 29, 2015

The jurors in the trial of accused Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes heard extensively from Holmes for the first time today as the court played videos of his psychiatric interviews recorded after the July 2012 attack.



Holmes, speaking in a calm, monotone voice, admitted to having "regrets" about the shooting while he was in solitary confinement.



"Usually, it's before I go to sleep," he says in one part of the nearly two-hour-long video.



When asked what people should know about him, Holmes replied, "That I'm kind of shy, I guess. ... I don't like to talk a lot."



Earlier today, a psychiatrist who treated Holmes said that he believes Holmes was sane at the time of the attack.



"Whatever he suffered from, it did not stop him from forming the intent and knowing what he was doing and the consequences of what he was doing," Dr. William Reid said immediately before the judge called a recess for lunch.



Reid was selected by the state mental institution to examine Holmes in the wake of the July 2012 attack in which he killed 12 people when he opened fire in a movie theater. Reid's testimony started shortly before the recess was called.



The video was shown in court today as part of the fourth week of the ongoing movie theater shooting trial.



The videos are a critical piece of evidence in the case as Holmes and his attorneys have pleaded that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, while the prosecution is working to prove that he was sane when he opened fire and killed 12 people.



There are 22 hours of interviews in total and they were conducted at the state mental health facility in Pueblo, Colorado, after his arrest.



The way in which they will be presented to the jury was a debated issue, with the prosecution successfully arguing that they be shown in parts rather than all at once, as the defense had originally hoped.



Today marks the 20th day of the trial and the videos have been one of the most highly anticipated pieces of evidence.



Earlier this week, the court heard from Holmes' journal, in which he wrote about selecting a movie theater as the target for his shooting as opposed to an airport, which he decided had too much security.



Survivors and first responders have been among the dozens of witnesses called to testify about the scene inside the movie theater on the night of the shooting.



Holmes faces the death penalty. If he is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he would be committed indefinitely to a state mental institution.



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