On July 20, 2012, Alexander Charles Teves, a 24-year-old male, was one of 12 people killed in a mass shooting at a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises.' In his final moments, Teves shielded his girlfriend, Amanda Lindgren, from the barrage of bullets, an act of heroism that saved her life.
A single bullet from an AR-15 struck Teves, killing him instantly.
Alexander, or Alex as he was known, was remembered by friends and family as a loyal and compassionate person with an incredible sense of humor. He had recently earned a master's degree in psychology from the University of Denver and was pursuing a degree in physical therapy. His passion was helping others, which he did through counseling and mentoring troubled youth.
The man responsible for the tragic events of that night was James Eagan Holmes. Dressed in tactical gear, Holmes entered the theater and threw tear gas grenades before opening fire on the audience with multiple firearms. In addition to the 12 fatalities, 70 other people were injured in the attack. Holmes was arrested at the scene without incident. His apartment was later found to be booby-trapped with explosives.
James Holmes was charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Following a lengthy trial, a jury found him guilty on all counts in July 2015. The jury, however, could not unanimously agree on the death penalty. Consequently, on August 26, 2015, James Holmes was sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences plus an additional 3,318 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
