Alleged Colorado cinema gunman James Holmes has been formally charged with 142 criminal counts in one of America’s worst mass shootings. He faces 24 counts of murder, two for each of the 12 people killed and 116 counts of attempted murder, two each for the 58 injured. For each person killed he faces a count of murder with deliberation and one of murder with extreme indifference. If convicted, the 24-year-old could face the death penalty. According to the authorities, he opened fire at random in a crowded movie theatre showing Batman film The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora near Denver on 20 July.

The judge had banned cameras from yesterday’s hearing. Mr Holmes was reportedly quiet and unemotional during the hearing. Survivors of the shooting and family members of those killed attended the hearing