Theater shooting defendant is quiet as jury selection nears

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) – Theater shooting defendant James Holmes sat quietly and leaned back in his chair in court on Tuesday as jury selection begins in his trial over the shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater.

Holmes had no visible restraints, though the judge had ordered him to be tethered to the floor in a way the public couldn’t see for the trial. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a medium-length curly beard and wore oval-shaped reddish glasses.

An unprecedented jury pool of 9,000 people was initially summoned but later fell to 7,000 after some summons could not be delivered and some people were excused.

The pool will be winnowed to a handful in the weeks ahead to hear the death penalty trial that could last until October.