July 20, 2012-just a simple day for most of the people living in Aurora, Colorado. For some, this day changed their lives forever. On this night the theaters were full due to the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. About fifteen minutes into the movie, the exit door opened, two smoke bombs were thrown and gunshots fired into the crowd. A man, dressed in full body armor and heavily armed with an AR-15 rifle, two Glock handguns, a shotgun, and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition had entered and was now wreaking havoc. At first some people thought that it was all part of the movie, special effects to entertain the audience. But it was not a special effect; it was a massacre. The shooter did not care where or who he was shooting, he simply…show more content… Numerous others were left in extreme shock. James Holmes, whose hair was colored bright orange, claimed that he was the "Joker" (a villain in Batman movies). As soon as Holmes was arrested, he acted suspiciously, as if he was insane. He was calm and did not hesitate when officers arrested him. James revealed important information regarding other dangerous things that he planned to do. In his apartment wires leading to some explosive traps that Holmes created were already connected. James Holmes is currently charged with over 160 counts of murder and attempted murder. During his first trial, Holmes appeared as mentally ill. The judge accepted James's plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered a mental evaluation. This evaluation will determine whether James Holmes receives the death penalty or spends the rest of his life in prison. If by some chance he is found insane, Holmes will be placed in a mental institution, where one day he could be released. It is unknown when the court will announce its final…show more content… However, capital punishment is not cruel and unusual, it is a deterrent to crime, and it is biblically supported. Ever since the debate on capital punishment began, researchers have studied on whether or not the death penalty is deterrent to crime. Thus far the results show that capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime. The next point to the argument is that the death penalty is not cruel and unusual punishment. The Eight Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, "excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted" (Burkhead). Another important point to this issue is that capital punishment is biblically supported, both in the Old and the New Testament. This analysis is limited to capital punishment in America and will not mention different types of punishment and law systems of other countries. Before proceeding further, a brief history of capital punishment will provide