Journalist Dave Cullen, author of the definitive book on Columbine which he spent ten years researching, has an op-ed in tomorrow's New York Times on the myths of the mass killer and why people shouldn't rush to judgment about James Holmes.

YOU’VE had 48 hours to reflect on the ghastly shooting in Colorado at a movie theater. You’ve been bombarded with “facts” and opinions about James Holmes’s motives. You have probably expressed your opinion on why he did it. You are probably wrong.

In other words, "The killer is rarely who he seems." I'm ignoring the media's speculating pundits and profilers and will wait for the evidence.

Update: In other case news, Holmes bought his tactical assault gear online from a company called Tactical Gear in Missouri. Here's the receipt. He ordered in on July 2 and specified 2 day shipping. One of the items is a BlackHawk Urban Assault Vest. Here's BlackHawk's website and catalog.

I think it would be more productive to monitor the sale of "urban assault vests" and similar "tactical gear" than guns. What possible sporting use could these items have? Check out the D.O.A.V. Assault Vest System.[More...]

CNN reports that James Holmes, the suspect who is believed to have attacked moviegoers at last night's opening of the latest Batman movie at an Aurora, Colorado multiplex, killing 12 and injuring around 50, is a Ph. D. candidate in neuroscience. Earlier reports state that Holmes was a former medical student at the University of Colorado in Denver. CNN also reports that Holmes was in the process of withdrawing from school prior to last night's events.

Holmes, a 24 year old white male, allegedly used gas canisters, an assault rifle and two hand guns in his attack.

Above: Mitt Romney on marijuana in May, 2012

Below is a clip of Romney in 2007, "I believe marijuana should be illegal in our country." He says cancer patients don't need marijuana, "there are other sources of pain management that work entirely effectively. He says marijuana legalization "is the wrong way to go. We need less drugs in our society" and "I would oppose the legalization of marijuana." [More...]

A gunman entered the Century 16 Movie Theaters complex at the Aurora Town Center (a suburb of Denver)around 12:30 a.m. this morning, released a gas canister and then opened fire, killing 14 people and wounding 50 more. (Updated: Death total is 12, not 14.)

Three of the theaters in the complex, like others in across Colorado, were showing Batman: the Dark Knight at all night movie premieres. [More..]

President Obama is coming to Colorado Springs Friday to tour the wildfire areas which continue to ravage Colorado. Here's a map showing how big the red zone is. Around 200 - 300 homes have been destroyed, and more than 30,000 people evacuated.

More here. The photo galleries are pretty amazing.

There are more than 900 firefighters battling the fires which now cover more than 15,000 acres. The good news is the federal, state and local governments are working together. And far better prepared. Lessons learned from the disaster days of Hurrican Katrina when the feds couldn't get anything together.

Check out the website for the National Interagency Fire Center -- it's very informative and confidence-inspiring.

The military has sent two MAFF's to Colorado Springs. Whats a MAFF? [More...]

The District Attorney of Boulder, CO says no charges will be filed against a couple who shot a 21 year old student who walked into their home and their bedroom at 3:30 a.m. a few days ago. The lights were out and the couple had been asleep when they heard an intruder. Colorado's Make My Day law justifies shooting an intruder in the home if the homeowner "reasonably believe[s] a trespassing person intends to use any measure of physical force on any occupant of the home."

Zoey Ripple, who graduated from the University of Colorado two weeks ago, was intoxicated and ignored the couple's warning to leave, even though they said they had a gun. She was shot in the hip and is recuperating in the hospital. [More...]

In what appears to be a first nationally, a malpractice insurance carrier has refused to renew Denver lawyer Ann Toney's policy because she advises medical marijuana businesses.

In its terse notice, the Hanover Insurance Group explained that Toney's practice "does not meet current underwriting guidelines because of the following risk factors: Area of practice involving medical marijuana."

Judge Kenneth Lester has issued a written order on the motion brought last week by the state for a gag order. Judge Lester says the lawyers for the parties (the state and Mr. Zimmerman) have acted with the utmost professionalism and no gag order on them is warranted.

He then reminds lawyers "connected to" the case and "their agents" that they are also subject to Florida ethical rules for lawyers on extrajudicial comments and are subject to discipline if they violate the rules. [More...]

Gary Lozow is one of Denver's most prominent criminal defense attorneys and a terrific guy. Yesterday morning, a driver ran a red light at a busy intersection and crashed into his car, sending it upside down into a creek, where it became submerged in water, with Gary locked inside. Here's the video.

Passersby and two security guards from an adjacent medical center jumped down a 14 foot embankment to reach the car, got it unlocked using a block of concrete they found, and pulled Gary, who was unconscious, out of his vehicle. The water was so cold, one of the rescuers required medical attention. Another seriously injured his leg. The creek was so high, had he not been pulled quickly from the car, he would have drowned. [More...]

K-i-s-s-i-n-g. Football makes no sense to me. The Denver Broncos have signed a $96 million 5 year contract with Peyton Manning. Our local news reports it's the Biggest Contract Ever in NFL history. Manning didn't play last season due to multiple surgeries for neck injuries. Everyone seems to think he'll be able to play but no one seems to know for sure. Here's Manning today on the state of his neck:

“Could I play this Sunday? Yeah, I could,” Manning said. “I don’t know if I’d play as well as I’d like, but I could.”

His neck is apparently enough of a concern that his new contract has a neck injury waiver. But he's guaranteed $18 million for this season, meaning even if he re-injures his neck the first week, or his old neck injuries resurface, causing him to sit out the remainder of the season, he's guaranteed $18 million. Who wouldn't take that deal?

So what do the Broncos say about the possibility Manning's injuries will prevent him from being the Greatest Player Ever? [More...]

Stan Garnett, the District Attorney for Boulder, Colorado, has written a letter to Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh asking that the feds back off from threatening to prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries in Boulder that are in compliance with state law. From his letter, available here:

My view is that the resources of the United States Attorney’s Office should be focused elsewhere: on terrorism, serious economic crime, organized crime and serious drug dealing (involving significant amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine). I can see no legitimate basis in this judicial district to focus the resources of the United States government on the medical marijuana dispensaries that are otherwise compliant with Colorado law or local regulation. The people of Boulder County do not need Washington D.C. or the federal government dictating how far dispensaries should be from schools, or other fine points of local land use law.

[More...]

As BTD noted, Rush Limbaugh has now apologized to Sandra Fluke.

Contrast the tone and brevity of his apology with his screed yesterday mocking objections to his attack on Ms. Fluke and with his original verbal assault on her. Either he's completely obtuse or he got arm-twisted. Either way, his apology is unlikely to satisfy anyone.

No one would be up in arms if he had just vigorously stated his position on funding or covering the cost of contraceptives without the completely gratuitous character assassination of Ms. Fluke. While it may be his job to be polarizing -- it's why he has a million fans on Facebook and gets the big bucks -- this time he struck a raw nerve across America. He over-played his role as the playground bully and abused his pulpit. No one likes a bully who beats people up for sport. And that's just what he did. In his "apology" he describes his attack as an "attempt to be humorous." Even followers of the Church of Limbaugh aren't laughing with him on this one. [More...]