Aurora, Colo., theater shooter James Holmes converts to Islam

The man who shot up an Aurora, Colo., movie theater during a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” last summer has reportedly converted to Islam and prays up to five times a day.

A prison source say the beard James Holmes sported in court last months represents his new-found faith. The source said Mr. Holmes has turned Muslim as a way of justifying his horrific crimes on July 20 which left 12 people dead and 58 people wounded, the Daily Mail reports.

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“He has brainwashed himself into believing he was on his own personal jihad and that his victims were infidels,” the source told the National Enquirer.

Mr. Holmes now prays five times a day, sticks to a strict Muslim diet and spends hours each day studying the Koran, the source told the Enquirer.

But most Muslim inmates are not happy with the convict’s new religion.

“None of them condone forms of terrorism or extremism,” the source added. “And they don’t want their religion to be connected to that awful shooting.”

Mr. Holmes is charged with 166 counts, mostly for murder and attempted murder, the Mail reports. He could be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. A Colorado judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf earlier this month.

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