A Teacher Remembers the Accused Colorado Gunman

Mourners visit a makeshift memorial built across the street from the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., where 12 people were killed and 58 wounded in a shooting attack last week during a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."

—Kevork Djansezian/Getty

By Paul Karrer

When I knew James Holmes, the alleged Colorado shooter , he was Jimmy. I was his 5th grade teacher.

Back then, in 1998-99, Holmes lived in Castroville, Calif., a tiny town of 5,000. Since the theater shooting in Aurora, I’ve talked about Jimmy with one of his former classmates; let’s call him Chris.

Jimmy was well-dressed, neat, wore glasses, liked to read, and excelled in all academic areas . He had two really good friends, including Chris, both sharp like him—in fact,...