The parents of movie shooter James Holmes are speaking out for the first time, saying their son is not a monster and shouldn’t be executed. INSIDE EDITION reports.
The parents of James Holmes, the Aurora, Colorado, theater massacre shooter, are speaking out. They want everyone to know, "He is not a monster, he's a human."
Holmes is accused of slaughtering 12 people and wounding 70 inside a movie theater in 2012.
He's pled not guilty by reason of insanity. His parents have never spoken out until now. In a letter to the editor of The Denver Post, the parents write: "We do know that many victims of the theater shooting would like to see our son killed."
They also stated, "We love our son, we have always loved him, and we do not want him to be executed."
Robert and Arlene Holmes are speaking out as the murder trial is set to get underway in January. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
His parents write, "He is a human being gripped by a severe mental illness. We believe that the death penalty is morally wrong, especially when the condemned is mentally ill."
Holmes' parents are hoping a plea deal can be reached to spare their son's life and spare the community the pain of reliving the nightmare shooting at trial.
