Holmes to classmate before attack: ‘Stay away, I’m bad news’

James E. Holmes at his first court appearance Monday, July 23, 2012.

AURORA, Colo. — The man suspected of killing 12 and injuring 58 others at an Aurora movie theater last month may have known his mental stability was unraveling, reportedly telling a classmate via text shortly before the attack that he was “bad news.”

The New York Times is reporting that James Holmes began a text message conversation with a classmate by asking if she had ever heard of a condition called “dysphoric mania,” a form of bipolar disorder. According to the Times report, the condition “combines the frenetic energy of mania with the agitation, dark thoughts and in some cases paranoid delusions of major depression.”

In a response to that text, the classmate asked Holmes if he believed the condition could be managed with treatment. Holmes indicated there were ways to treat it, but concluded the conversation with this message:

“You should stay away from me. I’m bad news.”

The classmate said that’s the last time she heard from Holmes. The attack at the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” on July 20 happened approximately two weeks following the conversation, according to the report.