Gun Range Owner Thought James Holmes Seemed ‘Bizarre’
- Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:33pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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James Holmes
The owner of a Colorado gun range thought shooting suspect James Holmes seemed “bizarre” after he tried to follow up on an application Holmes submitted less than a month before allegedly carrying out the movie theater massacre.
Glenn Rotkovich, owner of the Lead Valley Range in Byers, Colo., told Fox News it wasn‘t Holmes’ actual application that seemed strange — it was the voicemail message Rotkovich reached when trying to follow up with him.
“His answering machine message was incoherent, just bizarre, really bizarre — slurring words, but he didn’t sound drunk, just strange — I could make out “James” somewhere in it,” Rotkovich said.
Rotkovich told Fox he’d been trying to reach Holmes to discuss his application and set up a mandatory orientation and safety training. Instead, he called two more times — getting the message each time — but never heard back.
“I told my staff, here’s the name — James Holmes — this is the person. If he shows up come get me. I need to talk to him before anything else,” he said. “I said, I’m not sure about this guy.’ It was kind of bizarre.”

Image source: Fox News
Holmes is accused of opening fire on a movie theater showing a midnight screening of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” early Friday morning. Twelve people were killed and 58 others injured in what has been called the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Police said he dyed his hair red and told authorities he was “The Joker”, a Batman foe.
Imitating the voice he said he heard on the answering machine, Rotkovich made a “mix of moaning in the background and movie-character-like exaggerated squeals and laughter,” according to Fox News.
“In hindsight, looking back — and if I’d seen the movies — maybe I’d say it was like the Joker — I would have gotten the Joker out of it,” he said. “It was like somebody was trying to be as weird as possible.”

Image source: Fox News
Rotkovich said when his wife woke him up with news of the shooting on Friday, the suspect’s name sounded familiar. His mother’s name and San Diego residence matched the emergency contact Holmes had provided on his application, and TV reporters were camped out at the same apartment address he had listed.
“I said, ‘Yes, this looks like it’s him,’” Rotkovich told Fox. “Too many coincidences for it not to be him.”






















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Comments (78)
Mr.Fitnah
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 8:06pmHe is a typical 99%r.
Report Post »GdHUs
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:38amThank God this guy wasn’t a leftwing ideolog .It’s bad enough he did what he did, but could you imagine the damage he could have done to conservatives if he had posed as a tea party member and NRA member? Hope I didn’t give the trolls any ideas.
Report Post »NoNannyState4me
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:52amGive the kid a break, he was just practicing to become an Anaheim police cadet.
Report Post »Thomas_Jefferson
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 1:36pmThe Batman movie shooter in Aurora Colorado “James E. Holmes“ is a active participant of ”occupy wall street” to be more precise, he is a member of Black Bloc, They are anarchists that use vandalism, violence & terrorism to achieve their goals. They are usually wearing black & cover their faces when there is a rally or march. This shooting could be something that was planed or discussed & he acted on it. Will there be more shootings ? I am sure we will know more as time progresses.
Have any of you seen this yet ?
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/protester-dressed-as-clown-imitates-shooting-police-with-umbrella-prop-gun-at-occupy-seattle/
Report Post »desertspeaks
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 8:26pmSmoke from his gas canister, wearing a gas mask, adrenaline, people screaming and running, yet this complete amateur managed to kill at least 12 people and wound 59???
Report Post »I’m not remotely buying into this crap!
Apple Bite
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 7:38pmNot an NRA member? Hohoho!
Report Post »christos
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:21pmTo much trail left behind to make it look easy in acquiring these items,the automatic blaming of Rush Limbaugh & Tea Party,,,smells like Spooky Dude,and they are laughing at us saying we can’t prove it,,,yet they forget we know someone who can +JESUS+GOD+.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:58pmWith all the pre-planning of a vest and setting up the apartment, why didn’t he have an escape plan ?It would have been easier to explode timed charges in the theater and already have made a getaway than slowly murder the victims one at a time. He seemed to want the sick thrill of individual terror rather than the carnage of faceless mass murder.
Report Post »circleDwagons
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:26pmwhy did he not have a shoot out with the police? what was the armour for?
Report Post »Or wear gloves, drop weapons and walk away
christos
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:43pmTO RAYBLUE – Good point why if he was an expert at bombs why did he choose to use a gun,,,more suspicion,,the left needs more ammo for their anti gun law they want passed,,,these people are evil.
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 10:13pmPeople who are seriously mentally ill have their own little movies playing in their head. Whatever this guy’s movie was, he was the star and it became time for him to act it out. The fact that he was so intelligent explains all the elaborate planning and scheming. I doubt the world has ever seemed real to him. He just seems like too much of a nut job.
Report Post »christos
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:53pmFirst thought that came to mind – someone paid him to do this with the promise of getting him eventually out of jail,,,these liberals will do anything to push their agenda through.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:03pmPossible. Maybe we find out maybe we won’t maybe nothing is there.
It would be much easier than Fast & furious to coax & coach a weak minded person into committing a mass casualty event. It is just one person dupe. It would be much easier to clean up the loose ends
Report Post »christos
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:28pmHe must of made a trial run to make sure the security door did not have a buzzer,suspicious
Report Post »christos
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:31pmHe was assuming the movie security would not see him exit or did he have accomplices distracting the security so he could exit quietly to the parking lot to get dressed in his car,,,hope they got everyone’s name that attended the show.
Report Post »stumpy68
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:45pmAny bets on him not making it to trial?
Report Post »MetalPatriot
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 9:55pmChristos…
I made that same point to my wife yesterday.
With all the real conspiracies that are going on, it now seems plausible that a random act is part of something more sinister. I doubt it this time, but the thought does arise much more frequently than it used to for me.
My gut is saying the range owner put this out there before an investigation links him. Maybe not, the investigation could have already led to that range.
More trouble for law abiding gun owners, that’s for sure.
Report Post »squigs2004
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 5:08amHere‘s some interesting coincidences about this horrible tragedy while we’re talking “conspiracy theories.” The police chief of Aurora is Dan Oates, someone who worked in the NYPD for 21 years and became head of the NYPD intelligence dept. before he left there in 2001. Now Mayor Bloomberg (who became mayor of NYC in 2002) is calling for talks on new gun control while the UN Arms Trade Treaty is being drafted at this time. The treaty will be completed and ready for our gun hating president to sign on July 27.
Not saying there’s any sort of “false flag” conspiracy here, but they are interesting coincidences.
Report Post »RSHLUVER
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:46pmOk I want to say that I support the 2nd amendment as much as the next patriotic American. However this gun range owner did not feel he had enough suspicions to notify the police over this guy? Whatever happened to if you see something ,say something? Did this gun range owner forget about 9/11?
Report Post »mm_vcdl
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 3:44amRSHLOVER: You hear that he has a weird answering machine greeting, therefore he must be a mass murderer in the making? Do you call the police on every person who does something weird? Must keep you busy.
Report Post »Joey Odendahl
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 6:02amI wouldn’t know what to tell the police. I’ve met a LOT of creepy or strange people in my 36 years. Never have I called the police, though.
Report Post »jnewbank
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 2:52pmReally? If I was this gun range owner I’d be embarrassed. That’s all he has on this killer? A clean application and a goofy voicemail greeting. Oh, paleeze. Just another “I got my 15 seconds” of free advertisement.
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 4:30pm(“His answering machine message was incoherent, just bizarre, really bizarre — slurring words, but he didn’t sound drunk, just strange — I could make out “James” somewhere in it,” Rotkovich said.)
Report Post »Sounds like he may have been under the influence of hypnosis or some drug(mind control) to me. I remember a report that came out after a court appearance of the Arizona shooter where he was mumbling something about they are controlling our minds or something, but it was only played off as if he was just a lunatic and he was quickly removed from the coutroom they said…strange to me. Could someone in our shadow government be messing with these college kid’s minds?
ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:19pmI think you are right !!!!! There is something very strange about this guy……. and the shooting in AZ was strange too……..I heard a story that the Judge that was killed was the real target, the others were killed just to make it look like someone went crazy……. Google the Judges name and see what cases he was working on ??????
Report Post »RSHLUVER
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:37pmhttp://www.infowars.com/proof-government-stages-mass-shootings-batman-massacre-decoded/
Report Post »KwikKarl
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:54pmIf he went to such extremes to booby trap his apt, why did he tip off the police? Collecting unemployment, struggling to find work – but had thousands of dollars of weapons, ammo, and gear.
For what it’s worth – Colorado Batman shooting shows obvious signs of being staged http://www.naturalnews.com/036536_James_Holmes_shooting_false_flag.html
MAY 17, 2012 (U//FOUO) DHS-FBI Bulletin: Terrorist Interest in Attacking Theaters and Mass Gatherings http://publicintelligence.net/dhs-fbi-terrorist-theater-attacks/
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 6:01pmPossibly.
Maybe people are just confused by all the garbage put out there by many different groups. Krugman put out a very erudite paper on economics to prove a specific item using mathematics for which he was rightly lauded. since then he has been shooting form the hip. Nancy Pelosi said we had to pass the healthcare bill to find out what was in it. OWS makes very little sense as does Hollywood. Then there are people who are on the fringe right that say we don’t have to pay taxes. Really? They passed an amendment to the constitution 100 years ago or more.
Then you have the fact that this guy apparently was born thru pathogenesis or was hatched. I say so because his mother has been contacted, but where is the father? Males do not do well without a father. There was a story of young rogue elephants on a South African / nature preserve killing rhinos for the heck of it. The park rangers solved it by introducing a mature male bull into the group of adolescent males so they could model behavior.
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:35pmYeah, maybe he was under the influence of one of Batman’s other enemies who specializes in mind control like Mad Hatter or Poison Ivy or Hugo Strange. Or maybe he was just a schizophrenic, because that’s what they do – walk around mumbling to themselves, and form theories about mind control and telepathy to explain why fully-formed thoughts flash into their conscious mind that they don’t remember consciously formulating.
Report Post »confederacyofdunces
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 4:00pmFind him not guilty.It’s the last thing he wants or expects. There will be 12 families more than eager to dole out punishment. there will be another 58 or so to join the proceeds. There is a lot of space in the Rockies to locate a cabin. History has shown the courts not capable of dealing swift adequate punishment in cases like this.
Report Post »Lee_in_PA
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:50pmThere aren’t enough police to watch people I think are strange, weird or out of wack, and certainly there aren‘t enough jails to hold what might be innocent people just because someone deems them ’strange.’ The law must wait for them to DO the unlawful first, even when you know dam well that is the direction they are headed.
Report Post »tick-tock2012
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:38pmAt least this guy didn’t say the typical, “he seemed like such a nice boy, very quiet and never bothered anybody”. I‘m alarmed that the owner of a firing range says someone seems strange and doesn’t notify anybody. He’ll live to regret that decision along with the flight instructors who taught the 911 terrorists to fly the planes, but not take off and land.
Report Post »matt1776
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:58pmYou can’t notify the police about someone based on their answering machine.
Report Post »rdroark
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 4:29pmThen again, what would the police have done had they been called? Supposedly he had no criminal record. I do find it odd that an unemployed college student would be able to buy $20,000 worth of fire-power in such a short time. Hmmm.
Report Post »Wu Ming Ren
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 4:58pmWhen I had a room addition built on my home, the crew took my handgun from my bedroom on the last day of work and put it in a box in the garage. When I discovered my gun missing, I immediately confronted the foreman, who said he noticed a firearm in a box in the garage. I said, “Show me!” He did, and the box also contained all of my power tools. I called the police to report the incident, but they refused to take a report. They said no crime had been committed. I said, “Take fingerprints of the tools and the handgun.” They refused, again saying no crime had been committed. I said, “With fingerprints, you’ll know who to look for if they come back and kill my family to get my guns and tools.” Can’t do it, I was told. I asked if they’d be by with chalk to mark the outline of my body at least. The cop hung up on me. I moved out of that stupid town.
Yeah, you go with that misconception that the police are there to serve and protect. Maybe you’ll get some yellow crime scene tape and a chalk outline for your faith in them. As for me, I will keep my firearms loaded and within arm’s reach at all times. I will not obtain a CC permit, because when the SHTF, legalities will not matter, but before the SHTF, the police would know where to go to collect the firearms. They’ll not have mine that easily.
Report Post »MetalPatriot
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 10:05pmRanges have to stay in buisness. The public one I use has gang-types there; HEAVY amounts of grafitti all over the canyon/forest & port-a-potties. The guys that work there say they are not allowed to discriminate, though they acknowledge these are “bad guys.”
I’m for profiling. How do we do that without becoming the Gestapo or Nazis?
Report Post »SilentDove
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 12:11amYou can‘t call the police because someone is ’weird’. Conservative?
Report Post »ComradeAdam
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:28pmA top of the top neuroscience student wearing body armor chooses a movie theater where he knows no one would have a gun then immediately surrenders with no resistance when cops show up. He had no intention of dying or fighting it out, but obviously planned this horror out very carefully. This was deliberate, so, what were his objectives? He knew he would be in prison, but still thought it was worth it. I think he was working with others, like OWS, to get gun control. Remember, the reports say someone sitting in the front row next to the emergency exit got a phone call then got up and opened the door for him.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:27pmWith all the body armor, isn’t it most likely that he either expected to die in a shootout with the police but hoped to kill a few of them first, or that he actually believed that with sufficient protection he could get away? Or simply that he wanted to sow maximum confusion by looking like he might actually be part of the evening’s entertainment. As for the exit door, it seems now that he bought a ticket, left through that exit, propping it open, went to suit up and lock and load, as they say, and then returned through the door he had left ajar. Lots more plausible than a fiendish conspiracy to take everybody’s guns.
Report Post »hugecatfish
Posted on July 23, 2012 at 9:25amFiendish conspiracy or not there Lloyd Drako, you can bet your knickers that this will be used by the gun-haters as they discuss the UN Small Arms Treaty that will be offered to Obama—-THIS WEEK.
Report Post »WatchingAmericaDie
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:14pmAnd he wrote in his Match.com profile that he’s “Agnostic”, so the progressives won’t be able to say, “You seeeeeee……………..he was a rightwing Christian!!!”
Report Post »KusoJiJi
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:58pmNot an NRA member. Sorry ABC News, can’t go running off on that tangent either. Maybe ABC News can look into any affiliations with Occupy Wall Street or some other anarchist leftwing group.
Report Post »RestoreCapitalism
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:49pmIf he seems like anyone belonging to any group, it would be the ‘Occupy’ crowd. They tend to create their own realities in their minds, and are known to be violent and disrespectful of others.
Report Post »flatbroke
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:33pmThis sad event sickens me, but what i can not understand is that fact that the theater chain did not allow for licensed conceal carry owners to bring their guns to the theater, so it ok for a demented AH to enter the theater and kill 12 people, but dont allow for concealed carry permit holders to enter? Its too bad that they did not b/c, some smart, observant CCW person could have dispatched this AH with one tap to the head, and saved a dozen lives, and the american tax payers money supporting this AH for DECADES of confinement, another thing is almost everyone says “ oh this guy is crazy” “ he has some mental diorder” well thats not an excuse to murder innocents, he deserves the death penalty, to bad he probably will not get it, b/c of to many BHL in the courts, he will rot in prison, on tax payers dime for decades.
Report Post »johnpaulkuchtajr
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 5:56pmThe only thing to “understand” is that the government, the UN or whoever is pulling the strings of this little enterprise we call the United States of America, desperately wants to disarm all the gun owners.
They want a vast nation of “sheeple” like in China, Russia, Cuba, et al.
Pry my weapons from my cold, stiff fingers!
Report Post »patriot133
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:31pm**GLOCK** I NEVER leave home with-out it
Report Post »muffythetuffy
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:02pmWhat happened to him in a California college that made him like this? What professors did he have who urged him to do these things? Was it the harsh police treatment of the Occupy in Frisco and Los Angles that angered him and made him want to get even with the Police and one-percenters? We know its alleged that had help. WHO?
Report Post »BaltimoreJoe
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:15pmThe Theater chain does not allow private citizens to conceal carry. There’s some dispute whether they allow off-duty officers to carry. Unfortunately for the dozens injured and dead, citizens with conceal carry permits are extremely law-abiding and wouldn’t carry in this chain.
Imagine him walking through the door, facing 1k people looking in his direction, like facing the wrong way in an elevator, and having 15 – 20 people opening up on him after his second shot. No way he or anyone else would chance it.
Report Post »The0bserver
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 7:53pmI’ve read reports that Aurora does not allow anyone to carry concealed weapons.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:15pmNow that you mention it, Mohamed Atta seemed a bit peculiar at the flight school he attended, too. Funny how hindsight is 20/20.
Report Post »The Gooch
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:03pmWhen I was in college, one of the guys I worked with had a whole “bandito” themed voice message he’d worked up with his roommate. Bizarre… and funny as hell.
Report Post »Does this indicate Holmes was a potential murderer or mentally ill? Nope. Hindsight… funny how it’s always 20/20. Now gun range owners are psychogical experts. Great! I’ve always wanted to open a shooting range!
Any word on what brand of toothpaste or toilet tissue Holmes used?
MeteoricLimbo
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:17pmHaving not heard the voice message I would not be to quick to rush to judgement. But that’s just me.
Report Post »pypher
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:17pmI Love The Gooch! Always making me smile. :)
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:18pmExactly my friend, I think my 21 year old son is bizarre sometimes, do I think he will take a gun and open fire on a crowd of people…no.
Report Post »Shadowangel
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 3:27pmYou would never think that Godlovinmom, because he’s your child, and this is true for most parents. It is very difficult for parents to be objective about their kids, they are blinded by love and they always think their kids are good kids, no matter what. And when they actually do something bad, they often blame others (how many times do you hear “he was hanging out with the wrong people”). Even Ted Bundy‘s mother couldn’t believe her son had committed crimes.
Report Post »Truthmonster
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:56pmThis guy sounds like a guy Obama would appoint to the Supreme Court.
Report Post »Recceman90
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:04pmOr Maybe Bush would appoint this guy as Chief Justice!
Report Post »johnpaulkuchtajr
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:25pmPerhaps Eric Holder would appoint Holmes to broker guns to the Mexican cartels?
No, Eric doesn’t want to cut anybody else in on all that sweet cash flowing north from the cartels.
Exactly how much money did our own CIA launder for the cartels during the height of Fast and Furious? That was all part of the deal cut between DoJ and at least one of the cartels.
The CIA cash laundering program got coverage at one point; but, it’s completely off the radar now.
How do you think that media white wash was orchestrated?
Who ordered the CIA to launder the cartel cash?
Move along,folks, nothing to see here!
Report Post »korbin
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:54pmNow Range owners are responsible for crack pots?? Wow, stupidity never ceases to amaze, we can’t save everyone from a looney Toon who wants to do harm. We should all prepare especially us sheep dogs. More trained people should be carrying it is possible tis guy may have been taken out and reduced casualties maybe not. You can’t regulate common sense. We haven’t had a fire related death in the US in over 50 years or more why? we plan, train, fire extinguishers, drills, education, violence has always been a part of human nature and we should educate people on prevention and what to do if you are exposed to a violent scenario.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:47pmI really do wonder what else in the world has been going on over the past few days.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:52pmI agree. We will mourn the victims now what else is happening. In fact you could have predicted the left calling for more gun control and blaming this on conservatives, so maybe it is not even news after reporting the event.
Report Post »subic
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:59pmso what new executive order stripping us of more freedoms has zero signed while all this overblown coverage is taking place?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:03pmSame here, and I imagine Obama and friends will make the most of this incident as the UN Small Arms treaty is coming up on the 27th.
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:21pmI’ve had to turn off the news for the last couple days…I’m not sure I want to know anymore about this nutjob…on CNN they’ve been interviewing victims in the hospital…don’t know about you, but thats the last thing I would want to do, after what I’ve just been through…I find it wierd.
Report Post »setoguro
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 2:59pmDefense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel would take military action if needed to ensure that Syria’s advanced weapon systems and chemical weapons do not fall into Hezbollah’s hands.
Syrian rebels said on Sunday they had captured a border crossing with Turkey at Bab al-Salam, The third frontier point with Turkey now they can get a crap load of weapons.
Shots were fired at a bus traveling along the southern border with Egypt Sunday afternoon. A gas pipeline was blown in Sinai Saturday. Hear tours are cheap to Sinai now.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:47pmGun Range Owner Thought James Holmes Seemed ‘Bizarre’
Report Post »No ****.
heavyduty
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:45pmMost people seem bizarre to other people if they don’t know them. So what else is new.
Report Post »MikeMurray
Posted on July 22, 2012 at 1:44pmFlight training schools in the America take heed from this shooting-range business owner. You too can help keep your countrymen safe.
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