Aurora shooting suspect emotionless in court

The man accused of killing a dozen people in a Colorado movie theater gave little away in his first court appearance Monday, sitting silently in a red jailhouse jumpsuit and with his hair dyed bright red.

James Holmes, 24, who was arrested immediately after the massacre early on Friday morning, appeared groggy and emotionless during the brief hearing, looking straight ahead and occasionally closing his eyes.

About 40 members of the victims' families were seated on the left side of the courtroom.

Several times when Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester asked Holmes a question, one of his public defenders answered for him.

Police say Holmes was dressed in body armor and toting several guns when he opened fire at a packed midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" at a theater complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora early Friday. Fifty-eight other people were wounded, and many have serious injuries.

The former neuroscience student also left his apartment booby-trapped with explosives that police said could have destroyed the apartment complex. Police say they are still searching for a motive for the crime.

At the hearing, the judge set a date of next Monday for formal charges to be filed. Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers said she would consult with the victims and families of the dead before making a decision on whether to seek the death penalty.

She told reporters outside the court house that the decision on the death penalty had to be made within 60 days of his arraignment, "so it's months down the line."