CASTROVILLE, Calif.- Adam Martinez sits in his living room Monday in Castroville staring at old yearbooks and class pictures showing the Colorado shooting suspect James "Jimmy" Holmes giving a toothy-grin at the camera.
"He was extremely intelligent, he was the head of the class, top student, excelled in academics," said Martinez, who went to Castroville Elementary with Holmes.
Martinez remembers his friend, not as being quiet or an outcast, but the complete opposite. He describes the times they played on the local playgrounds together.
"He was very active, we would go out to play and he would be running around, he was athletic, he was pretty fast and he would get along with everybody, with all the kids."
Martinez said he doesn't understand how his friend, who he calls "Jimmy," killed 12 people and injured 58.
"I'm shocked that he did that," said Martinez. "I'm shocked that anyone could even do that at all, any person, let alone someone that I knew."
Martinez watched Holmes' court appearance on national television Monday and couldn't believe it was him. Holmes had dyed his hair red-orange and sat with downcast eyes, barely able to stay alert.
"He's completely gone, he looks like a disturbed individual, obviously he had some kind of manic episode and he's got something going on, he doesn't look normal, he's not functioning normal," said Martinez.
Martinez said it will be difficult to think of his old buddy from school in the same way.
"He ruined it, he ruined their lives, he changed so many lives."
