Indiana News

Psychologist Speaks on Colorado Shooter's Mental State

7/24/2012

James Holmes is accused of murdering 12 people and injuring dozens of others in Aurora, Colorado, which puts his mental state in question.

Listen:

Clinical Psychologist Dr. Greg Sipes says to look at genetics first. "The more we learn about the genetic loading for any kind of condition, the more we're convinced that there's a heavy genetic loading for most conditions, and that includes serious mental health conditions."

Sipes says there are three broad things to look at, early in life, to predict schizophrenia or psychosis. "Cognitive difficulties, attention problems, concentration problems. Another is what is called neuro motor difficulties, in other words, kind of poor coordination, and then the big one is social impairment."

Sipes says Holmes likely had planned the murders for a long period of time. "I remember hearing, or reading, that his mother, when they called him, said you have the right man. My guess is that they had seen him get more and more bizarre over a long period of time. They didn't know what to do about it, maybe they couldn't do anything about it because we have civil rights."

Sipes says Holmes' thoughts and feelings were likely much more intense in the days before the murders.

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