Micayla Carolyn Medek, a 23-year-old White/Caucasian woman known to her friends and family as 'Cayla,' had a life full of simple pleasures and future plans. She was a student at the Community College of Aurora, working as a 'sandwich artist' at a local Subway. Known for her independent spirit, she was saving money for a trip to India. On the night of July 20, 2012, she went with friends to a midnight screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises' at the Century 16 movie theater in her hometown of Aurora, Colorado.
The evening took a horrific turn when a lone gunman, dressed in tactical gear, entered the theater and opened fire on the audience. In the chaos that ensued, Cayla was fatally wounded. For nearly 20 agonizing hours, her family frantically searched for information, going from hospital to hospital in the desperate hope of finding her alive. Their worst fears were realized when they were officially notified of her death. She was one of 12 people killed in the senseless act of violence that also left 70 others injured.
The suspect, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, was apprehended by police in the theater's parking lot shortly after the shooting. Authorities found that he had meticulously planned the attack and had booby-trapped his apartment with explosives. Holmes was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder. His trial was highly publicized, with his defense arguing that he was suffering from a severe mental illness. However, the jury found him guilty on all counts. While the jury did not reach a unanimous decision for the death penalty, Holmes was sentenced to 12 life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 3,318 years in prison for the attempted murders and other charges.
