A new court filing in the Aurora theater shooting case shows that detectives delicately, but persistently, attempted to question suspect James Holmes after his arrest.

After Holmes was brought to the Aurora police headquarters early July 20, detectives “peppered” him with questions, according to a filing by Holmes’ attorneys made public Thursday. Among the questions: “Are you having trouble breathing?,” “Do you need us to get you some help?” and “Is there anything we should know about?”

Detectives also asked Holmes three times, “Are you good to talk with us?” And one detective told Holmes, “If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask,” according to the court filing.

That last statement apparently prompted the mystery question Holmes asked detectives after his arrest. The new court filing suggests the question was about “the sign he saw at the police station.”

The filing adds new detail to the hours after Holmes was arrested outside the Century Aurora 16 movie theater — where, his attorneys have admitted, Holmes killed 12 people and wounded dozens more during what his attorneys have described as a psychotic episode — and before he asked for a lawyer.

Holmes’ lawyers say his responses to the detectives’ questions should not be admitted at trial because the queries came before Holmes was read his rights. Prosecutors say the questions were allowable because authorities were trying to determine if there were any other immediate threats to public safety.

The new filing was one of dozens defense attorneys submitted Wednesday that were made public Thursday. Nearly all the filings are rebuttals to prosecutors’ responses to defense motions. Weeks of hearings on all motions in the case not related to the death penalty are scheduled for October.