Relatives of theater shooting victims show courage in court

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – For some of the families recovering from the July 20 shooting rampage at a movie theater, Monday’s court proceeding was a chance to show suspect James E. Holmes that they were still strong and weren’t going to be intimidated.

Prosecutors charged Holmes with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 counts of criminal intent to commit murder in connection with the rampage at an Aurora, Colo. movie theater showing “The Dark Knight Rises.” Twelve people were killed and 58 were injured in the attack.

“You could feel the emotion in the room,” said Don Lader, wearing a Batman T-shirt with the words, “A fire will rise.”

“I felt it was my responsibility to be here as someone who was in Theater 9, to show we’re not going to stand down,” said Lader, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. “We’re going to face it head on. “We’re not going to back down to this individual.”

DOCUMENT: Charges against James Holmes

Lader, 27, of Aurora, likened the fateful early morning when a gunman entered the Century 16 theater complex and opened fire to “a combat situation.” He said facing the shooting suspect in court empowered him again.

He said he hopes other victims seek mental health assistance as the case progresses. “Make sure you get help,” he said, “I don’t want to see another casualty.”

Seeing Holmes was also important for other relatives, including Mary Ellen Hansen of Denver. Hansen is the aunt of Ashley Moser, 26, who was wounded. Moser’s 6-year-old daughter died in the attack.

“It was important to come today to see him as what he was,” Hansen said. “He had a poker face on ... very indifferent,” she said. Last week she interpreted his appearance in court “spaced out and out of touch.” But Monday, Hansen said she believed he looked more alert.

“I was watching to see his gestures,” Hansen, a retired principal said. She said she believed he appeared “very aware of what was going on.” She said the charges against him are appropriate.

She stared at Holmes during the proceeding, but the two never made eye contact. She said she is not calling for Holmes to face the death penalty, for religious reasons.

Hansen said the family has yet to make funeral arrangements for Veronica Moser-Sullivan, awaiting her mother’s recovery. Ashley Moser was still hospitalized on Monday after suffering a miscarriage during the weekend.

Veronica’s father, Ian Sullivan, was in court Monday but declined to comment.

“He’s heartbroken,” Hansen said.

The family of Gordon Cowden said that although they have lost a loved one, no one can “ever take away or ever permanently damage this foundation of love for each other, for others, for life and for God” that Cowden embodied.

For others there simply weren’t words. Some relatives left the courthouse without comment, including the mother of Rebecca Wingo, who was killed.

Wingo’s mother was dressed in black.

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molly.hennessey-fiske@latimes.com

alexandra.davis@latimes.com