James Holmes, the convicted murderer of 12 people, currently has prosecutors and DA George  Brauchler pushing for him to receive the death penalty.

Holmes was the lone gunman in a mass shooting that occurred at a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises. Holmes bought a ticket and about twenty minutes into the film he exited via the emergency exit. He re-entered the theater wearing black clothing, a gas mask, load-bearing vest, and a ballistic helmet. Holmes then proceeded to throw multiple gas grenades into the aisles, causing the audience members’ vision to blur and their skin to become irritated. He then fired multiple weapons into the audience, killing 12 and injuring 58 others.

Moral code invariably demands some sort of punishment. The question remains, how should he be punished? Prosecutors are so intent on getting Holmes the death penalty, that they rejected a plea offer from Holmes’ lawyers, which stated that he would be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. “For James Eagan Holmes, justice is death,” said Arapahoe County district attorney, George Brauchler. Regardless of what the prosecution decides, one thing is certain: Holmes will be punished justly and accordingly. Despite his punishment, it cannot change the fact that lives were lost, and that friends and family of the victims will forever be affected.