Like virtually all massacre shooters before him, there is no doubt that the notorious Batman shooter James Holmes was taking hardcore pharmaceutical drugs. In Holmes’ case, they at least happen to be the very same drugs that ultimately led to the early death of actor Heath Ledger. With a fix for ‘altering his state of mind’, the ‘Batman shooter’ was heavily hooked on the prescription painkiller Vicodin. Holmes even reportedly dosed up on a pharmaceutical cocktail just before the shooting. But was it just Vicodin? Update: This has now been confirmed to be true.

But there is no doubt that this was just the beginning.

Side effects of Vicodin use, even at ‘recommended’ levels which Holmes likely far exceeded, include ‘altered mental states’ and ‘unusual thoughts or behavior’.

While also abusing the same prescription pharmaceuticals as Heath Ledger (who played The Joker in a previous Batman) and undoubtedly other drugs, Holmes actually told police that he was The Joker. The statements made by Holmes were even curious to many friends and relatives, who said just a year ago Holmes was seen as an ‘all-American boy’ with an affinity for his family. It appears what changed was the Batman shooter’s decision to begin altering his mental state with prescription drug abuse. Abuse which may have far extended beyond painkillers and potentially included psychotropic drugs — the very same drugs that almost every single massacre shooter have taken.

On his online dating profile, Holmes refuses to answer the question as to whether or not he uses drugs and to what extent. In response to the question, Homes writes “prefer not to say.”

Batman Shooter on Drugs Deadlier than Cocaine, Heroin Combined

Prescription painkillers alone have been shown to be even deadlier and more damaging than many illegal drugs. In 2008, more Americans died from pharmaceuticals painkillers than illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin combined. Going even further, statistical analysis reveals that prescription drug deaths outnumber traffic accidents when it comes to fatalities. One reason for this is the change in mental activity, which can potentially lead to destructive and radical behavior.

In fact, more than 12 million individuals in the United States reported taking prescription painkillers ‘purely for the high‘ that they cause instead of their intended purpose.

As more information comes out on the case, it will likely reveal an increasingly deep history of prescription drug abuse on behalf of Holmes. Just as the Columbine incident continued to develop into a horrific story of drug abuse and an obsession with mind alteration, it appears this case will follow a similar trend.