Tom Sullivan, whose 27-year-old son, Alex, was killed in the Aurora theater shooting, on Wednesday voiced outrage at comments from a state senator who said it was perhaps “a good thing” the gunman had a 100-round magazine.

State Sen. Bernie Herpin, R-Colorado Springs, said it “was maybe a good thing he (suspect James Holmes) had a 100-round magazine because it jammed” during the July 2012 massacre that left 12 dead and dozens injured.

“If he had instead had four, five, six 15-round magazines, no telling how much damage he could have done until a good guy showed up,” he said, offering testimony before a Senate Judiciary committee on a bill to repeal a law that limits ammunition magazines to 15 rounds.

The bill, sponsored by Herpin, was rejected later Wednesday on a straight-line party vote.

In recent days, several supporters of repealing gun-control laws passed in 2013 have stressed that larger ammunition magazines jam easier than lower-round ones.

“There’s just a real lack of empathy for the victims, for everyone impacted by the shooting,” said Sullivan, who testified in opposition to Herpin’s repeal measure. Since his son’s death, Sullivan has dedicated much of his time to voicing support for tougher gun-control laws across the country.

Herpin is a first-term legislator who assumed office last fall after the recall of Senate President John Morse, a Democrat who was ousted primarily for his support of new gun-control laws.

“This is the guy we brought in to replace John Morse? And he’s really going to talk like that,” said Sullivan. “No compassion.”

After lawmakers rejected Herpin’s bill, he said his intent was to “make a point that the high-capacity magazine (the suspect) was using was unreliable and jammed and that saved lives.”

Asked whether he thought it was OK for Holmes to have a 100-round magazine, Herpin was more direct.

“No, I don’t think it was good for him to be in the theater to begin with,” he said.

Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee