Widow of Colorado massacre victim sues James Holmes' psychiatrist

GlobalPost

The widow of a man killed by alleged Colorado shooter James Holmes in the Century Aurora 16 theater shooting has sued Holmes' psychiatrist for neglect.

Chantel Blunk, wife of Jonathan T. Blunk, said in a lawsuit filed Monday in District Court in Denver said Dr. Lynne Fenton should have had Holmes placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold, the Denver Post reported.

Fenton is director of student mental health services on the Anschutz Medical Campus, where shooting suspect Holmes was studying neuroscience, the Post wrote.

Holmes withdrew from the school five weeks before, prosecutors allege, he opened fire in the theater on July 20, killing 12, including Blunk's husband, the Associated Press reported.

Another 70 people were injured.

Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and has not entered a plea.

Blunk's suit — the first case filed against the school — also names the University of Colorado Denver and five unidentified defendants.

The London Telegraph cited the lawsuit as saying that Fenton advised campus police about her concerns regarding Holmes, after he told her about a fantasy in June last year "about killing a lot of people." 

The police offered to detain Holmes for psychiatric assessment, but Fenton declined. 

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