A Dark Night in Aurora: A Few Reflections

Photo of James Holmes

I have reflected on the events which happened recently in Aurora, Colorado, where James Holmes, a PhD student, opened fire on an unsuspecting audience at a local cinema as they prepared to watch the premier of the last series of the Batman trilogy. A total of 12 people died on that fateful   day on the spot or soon after.

I don’t intend to go into detail on what happened during that day when innocent people who were preparing to watch the premier of the  Batman movie “Dark Night Rises” became the target of a lone gunman, James Holmes. He appeared not to fit the stereotype of a terrorist or serial killer. Yet, while we may never learn what the young Holmes was thinking when he started his random killing spree, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't ask ourselves why this might have happened..

Indeed, there are a number of factors that have enabled Holmes to perform his acts of violence. Yet, before that, perhaps we need to acknowledge that our world today has become more violent and violence is often implicitly promoted through our continuous  consumption of news media reporting local crimes and wars abroad. In spite of the goodwill of many, our progress has not resulted in greater peace and stability.

Sadly, even the movie “Dark The Night Rising” appears to be full of violent action and terrorism. In spite of the idea of good fighting bad forces, the so-called “good guys” don’t hesitate to resort to brutality and violence themselves to win over their enemies. This reflects a certain inconsistency in our declared cultural values.

I cannot downplay the tragedy of the deaths following the Aurora shooting. They certainly left suffering amongst those they left behind and touched the American nation. Their lives were unique and irreplaceable . Some were children and had only started their lives. Yet, I am saddened that while this tragedy has rightly attracted the attention of the media - especially in the US - few have been so passionate the thousands being slaughtered today because of war and violence. Aren’t they valuable people like the people in Aurora who sadly were killed?

It was also surprising to me to learn that by possessing the arsenal of weapons, Holmes wasn’t breaking any laws. Indeed, as it stands, the American Constitution provides every American citizen the right to own a weapon in order to protect his person or property. Thus, this obviously permitted for Holmes to purchase many weapons from different US states and even over the internet. The debate on regulating the possession of arms is a hot topic in the US but episodes like that of Holmes aren’t isolated and other victims have surely perished because of unregulated arms market. Personally, I feel that the fact we have a culture that implicitly approves violence as a solution increases the risk of more tragedies like that of Aurora.

While I have identified some of the conditions which have helped to make possible for the young James Holmes to commit mass murder, I feel that I cannot ignore to consider James Holmes, the person. We risk of labelling Holmes as crazy or as someone to be hated. Some have written vengeful claims and even circulated inaccurate information. Even if the police report that Holmes dressed as Batman’s anti-hero, Joker, when committing his crime, it would be too simple for us to label Holmes as a deluded psychopath. Indeed, we may need to attempt, at least, to understand Holmes and his motivations.

Indeed, we need to ask ourselves whether Holmes’ actions were a product of a society that has become more desensitised to violence and war. Perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we are creating more isolation of particular groups of people. We need to ask ourselves whether we had neglected to listen to Holmes before he rebelled against society. We might also need to consider the possibility of whether physiological causes such as an undiagnosed brain tumour was partly responsible for Holmes’ actions. It has been documented that tumours can be responsible for reduction in areas of our brain controlling emotions.

Unfortunately, we often create monsters out of people like Holmes. In a way, we do this to disassociate ourselves from those who we deem are different than us. Yet, while I can never justify Holmes’ actions, I don’t know if given some extreme conditions of social isolation or deprivation, I wouldn’t act out like Holmes if I lose self-awareness and seek help if I need to. Indeed, Holmes may not have thought he had another option. Of course, Holmes’ family were also shocked and those those close to him saw another dark side to him they never thought existed. That too, should help us reflect on how much do we care enough for those around us to get to know them better.

Granted, mine are only reflections and we may know more with the passage of time about this tragic event. However, I believe that this sad event should be a wake up call to a darker reality that sometimes emerges when we least expect it. We may take this as an opportunity to empathise with people who because of war and violence wake up everyday to an uncertain future where they, or their loved ones, may not live after this day. 

Lastly, this is an opportunity to forgive and put true effort in cultivating compassion and promote peace amongst ourselves. It’s also our chance to value the life and dignity of every human being. For, In truth, we all depend on each other to make life worth it!