MASS murderer James Holmes slaughtered 12 innocent people after opening fire at a Colorado cinema in the summer of 2012.

Many people are curious where the killer is following the tragic fatal shootings in Boulder, Colorado on March 22. Here is his story.

Who is James Holmes?

James Holmes was born in 1987 and was originally from Riverside, California.

His neighbours said he lived alone and kept to himself.

He studied neuroscience at the University of California in 2010.

Holmes was academically gifted and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado medical centre but withdrew in June 2012.

His lawyer said he had mental health issues growing up and tried to kill himself aged 11.

Police say he bought the guns used in the incident legally at two sporting goods stores and purchased more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition online.

How did James Holmes carry out his attack?

The shooting was on July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado at a midnight screening of the hotly-anticipated Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises.

The Century 16 movie theatre was packed with film fans of all ages.

In the two months leading up to the shooting, Holmes, had purchased four guns – an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, a .40 caliber Glock handgun and another pistol – from local shops and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition, police said at the time.

All of the weapons and ammunition were purchased legally.

Shortly after the film started the spree killer propped an emergency exit open with a table cloth holder, went to his car, changed into protective gear and a gas mask and retrieved his guns.

Holmes walked back into the theatre and threw two gas canisters into the audience. Many in the audience thought it was a publicity stunt until he began spraying the crown with the shotgun, then the assault rifle and finally the pistol.

A witness said he went outside and and shot people as they ran.

Cops apprehended Holmes in his car behind the cinema within minutes of the shooting. He told them that he was “The Joker”.

Where is James Holmes now?

James Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against him, making him eligible for the death penalty.

On August 7 2015 Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without parole, avoiding the death penalty because the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.

In 2015 he was attacked behind bars at the Colorado State Penitentiary - the highest-security jail in the state - by fellow inmate Mark 'Slim' Daniels.

The attack took place as Holmes – who was being kept isolated from the other prisoners – was being moved between cells.

It is understood he was then secretly transferred an undisclosed prison out of state as a result of the assault.

In 2017, it was reported that Holmes was transferred to a high-security federal prison in Pennsylvania called Penitentiary Allenwood.

Has there been another shooting in Colorado?

Unfortunately, yes. On March 22, an unknown gunman was seen on livestream rampaging through a grocery store with an AR-15-style rifle in Boulder, Colorado.

On March 23, Boulder, Colorado officials announced that Ahmed Alissa is being charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree.

The victim's ranged in age from 20 to 65 and Mayor Sam Weaver said the community felt this loss "in our bones," including 51-year-old police officer Eric Talley.