The mother of Colorado movie theatre gunman James Holmes has said she still loves her son as he did not choose to suffer from mental illness, a jury has heard.
Holmes, 27, killed 12 people and injured 70 more when he opened fire inside a cinema packed with 400 people in Aurora, Colorada, during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight in 2012.
He was convicted earlier this month of 165 counts of murder, attempted murder and weapons charges.
The killer’s lawyers argued Holmes was suffering from a psychotic breakdown on the night of the attack and was not able to differentiate between right and wrong.
But the jury rejected Holmes’ plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and are now considering whether to sentence him to the death penalty or send him to prison instead.
Prosecutors are seeking his execution.
In her opening statement, defense attorney Rebekka Higgs told the jury: “We don’t kill people for being sick.”
Taking to the stand, his mother Arlene Holmes said her son was a happy baby who did not choose to have a psychiatric illness.
Asked by Ms Higgs whether she still loved her son, she said: “I still love my son, yes,” reports CNN.
“Because I understand he has a serious mental illness. He didn’t ask for that. Schizophrenia chose him, he didn’t choose it.”
Colorado movie theatre gunman James Holmes
Giving evidence, Mrs Holmes said her son’s psychiatrist had not told the family that he had been talking about killing people when she called about a month before the attack.
Fighting back tears, she said she “would have been crawling on all fours” to reach her son in Colorado had she known her son was talking about killing.
“We wouldn't be here” if Dr. Lynne Fenton had told them, she said.
Her husband Robert Holmes told the jury his son “was not a violent person” until the attack at the packed movie premiere.
Holmes’ defence team asked his parents to testify to present any mitigating factors to the jury which could prevent their son being handed the death penalty.
Read more: James Holmes found guilty of 2012 movie theater murder
Colorado cinema shooter James Holmes tormented by ‘obsession to kill’, court hears
Jurors will begin deliberating at the weekend as to whether any of the mitigating factors outweigh the aggravating factors already outlined last week.
If they unanimously decide they do, Holmes will be given a life sentence in jail.
They will hear testimony from victims if not.
The killer chose not to take the stand throughout his trial, during which the jury was presented with notebook scribblings by Holmes.
Over two of its pages he wrote simply "Why? Why?" repeatedly. In the notebook he also pondered the best options for a "mass murder spree" and choosing a cinema over an airport because security at the latter would be too tight.
Additional reporting by Reuters
