Woman In Theater During Rampage Doesn't Wish Death For James Holmes
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - Opening statements in the Aurora theater shooting trial will take place on Monday afternoon.
James Holmes is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity in the murders of 12 people and the wounding of 70 others. Many who were in the theater plan to attend the trial.
That night is still very clear to Tayler Trujillo -- too clear, in her opinion. She had gone with friends to see the premiere of the new Batman movie. Suddenly she saw a man enter through an exit door with body armor and then throw a canister and open fire.
"It landed on the ground in front of me, the thing he threw, and we looked to the front and he was in the middle of the screen and he shot up and that was the point when everyone was like, 'Get down! Get down!,' " Tayler Trujillo said.
After being covered by a friend she ran out.
"I remember looking to my left and just a guy being covered in blood. There was blood all over him and everyone was just running in complete chaos," Tayler Trujillo said.
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She spoke with police and then called home.
"I was like, 'Dad I'm not back yet, the theater got shot up and tear gas grenade.' "
She was okay -- at least on the outside. But so many others weren't. It's been 2 1/2 years since that night, but the fallout remains.
"Being in college in like large settings such as a big classroom with 200 plus people, I catch myself looking at the exit door a lot."
Her father, Larry Trujillo, Denver's former fire chief and Colorado's director of Homeland Security, feels the defendant was not insane.
"This was a very well planned out murder, if you want to call it that," Larry Trujillo said.
The shooter's parents claim he suffers from severe mental illness.
"I personally don't believe in the death penalty, so I wouldn't wish that on him," Tayler Trujillo said.
"I do have my daughter and had I lost her I don't know how I would feel," Larry Trujillo said.
He says God will judge in the end.
