I'm usually dubious about the death penalty. I don't believe it provides a deterrent to murder. And, there have been plenty of cases where inmates on death row have been exonerated by DNA evidence or surfacing of blatently prejudicial law enforcement and trial "justice." I'm also a lifelong scholar of the Rosenberg spy case, in which two absolutely ordinary, innocent people were executed in a McCarthy-era witch hunt.

That said, some people's crimes are so heinous that they simply don't deserve to live. "Justice" includes justice for victims and for society. This guy not only snuffed out 12 lives and wounded more than a score of others, he made life in America that much more uncomfortable, that much more fearful, by invading a place where good people were having fun, and turning it into an enduring nightmare. I hate to say it, but he probably set an example for other lunatics who will see movie theaters as even "better" venues for headline-grabbing slaughter than classrooms. If he's found guilty, he should die.