James Holmes
On July 20, James Holmes, 24, opened fire on spectators at a midnight screening of Batman, the Dark Knight Rises, in Aurora Colorado. Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Glock .40 handgun, Holmes left 12 people dead and 58 others injured. He was arrested the same night and charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder. Reuters

The jury has found James Holmes of murder in the first degree. He is now eligible for the death penalty.

A verdict has been reached in the Aurora movie theatre shooting trial of James Holmes, jurors told Judge Carlos Samour Jr around 1pm MT.

According to the Denver Post, the jury comprised of nine women and three men will make the verdict announcement in Arapahoe County District courtroom 201 at 4pm MT (6pm EST).

More about James Holmes trial

The jury deliberated for days on the 165 counts Holmes faces for the 20 July 2012 shooting at the Century Aurora 16 theatre. Among those charges are: 24 counts of murder, 140 counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of an explosive device. The Denver Post noted that a 166th count of a crime-of-violence-sentence-enhancement charge will be applied if Holmes is found guilty of one of the murder or attempted murder counts.

Holmes is accused of walking into theatre No. 9 during a Dark Knight Rises screening. The 27-year-old California native stands accused of killing 12 moviegoers and injuring 70 during the shooting. Prosecutors charged Holmes with two counts of first-degree murder or attempted murder for each of the victims killed or injured.

One of those charges alleges that he acted with intent, while the second alleges he acted with extreme indifference. Holmes can be found guilty of both.

Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and explosives charges. As previously reported by IBTimes UK, Holmes's attorneys claim he suffers from schizophrenia.

The Denver Post reported that the defence hired two psychiatrists who concluded that Holmes was insane at the time of the crime. Under Colorado law, that means Holmes was suffering from a mental illness that impaired his ability to tell the difference between right or wrong or act with intent.