WHAT HAPPENED?
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At least 12 people are dead and 38 were injured after a man opened fire on a crowd at a The Dark Knight Rises screening in Colorado early Friday morning, local police confirm.
According to various reports, at approximately 12:30 a.m. a man in a gas mask stood in front of a crowd during a screening of the film at a mall in Aurora and went on a shooting rampage. He allegedly set off a smoke bomb before opening fire.
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Ten were reportedly killed at the scene, and the rest died at local hospitals, including a 6-year-old. A man has been arrested in a parking lot behind the multiplex, police spokesman Frank Fania told reporters.
The suspect, who police did not immediately identify but is believed to be in his early 20s, was reportedly wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a rifle, handgun and knife. Another gun was purportedly recovered at the theater.
“He did not resist. He did not put up a fight,” Fania said.
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Authorities also confirm that there was no evidence that a second gunman was involved.
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Eyewitnesses told CNN that the gunman reportedly kicked open an exit door and flung a smoke bomb into the theater before making his way through the crowd and randomly opening fire.
“We saw people running around and screaming,” one eyewitness said.
Another recalls hearing “anywhere from 10 to 20 shots and little explosions going on. Shortly after that we heard people screaming. Then they came on PA system and said everyone needed to get out.”
A spokeswoman for a local hospital confirmed that all of the victims suffered gunshot wounds ranging from minor to critical. The FBI has now joined in the investigation.
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James Holmes/Photo: TMZ/University of Colorado
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Perezhilton.com even reported that the man, now being identified as James Holmes, released some type of tear or smoke gas into the crowd, and opened fire on the audience, killing 12 and injuring at least 50. [The picture above is the first official photo of James Holmes [drop out student] released by his former campus, University of Colorado.]
One eyewitness shares:
“You just smelled smoke and you just kept hearing it, you just heard bam bam bam, non-stop. The gunman never had to reload. Shots just kept going, kept going, kept going.”
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Another audience member recalls:
“I’m with coworkers and we’re on the floor praying to God we don’t get shot, and the gunshots continue on and on, and when the sound finally stopped, we started to get up and people were just bleeding.”
Theatre-goer Lamar Lane states of the horrifying experience:
“The suspect throws tear gas in the air, and as the tear gas appears he started shooting. It was very hard to breathe. I told my brother to take cover. It took awhile. I started seeing flashes and screaming, I just saw blood and people yelling and a quick glimpse of the guy who had a gas mask on. I was pushed out. There was chaos, we started running.”
Another witness says:
“We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes into the movie and all you hear, first you smell smoke, everybody thought it was fireworks or something like that, and then you just see people dropping and the gunshots are constant,” witness Christ Jones told ABC’s Denver affiliate KMGH. “I heard at least 20 to 30 rounds within that minute or two.”
One man shares a couple’s experience:
“They got up and they started to run through the emergency exit, and that when she turned around, she said all she saw was the guy slowly making his way up the stairs and just firing at people, just picking random people. The gunshots continued to go on and on and then after we didn’t hear anything…we finally got up and there was people bleeding, there was people obviously may have been actually dead or anything, and we just ran up out of there, there was chaos everywhere.”
In a statement, Warner Bros., the studio behind the movie, said: “Warner Bros. is deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time.”
President Obama Speaks out! [Also Romney, LOL ;)]
“We woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways we are united as one American family” Obama said following the early morning shooting.
Following the nightmare shooting at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater screening of The Dark Knight Rises that left at least 12 dead and 38 injured, President Obama addressed the tragedy at a Ft. Myers, Florida campaign stop.
“We woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways we are united as one American family,” he said. He called for a moment of silence, adding “There are going to be other days for politics, this I think is a day for prayer and reflection.”
Earlier, Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney released somber statements pledging support for the victims.
President Obama:
Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.
Mitt Romney:
Ann and I are deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence that took the lives of 15 people in Colorado and injured dozens more. We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.
The film, the final chapter in director Christopher Nolan‘s Batman saga, has become the center of fierce political debate this past week. Radio host Rush Limbaugh insinuated that the villain’s name, Bane, was an attack on Romney’s former venture capital firm, Bain; while others debated the ideological leanings of its characters and its populism-versus-anarchy undertones.
There are no signs that this shooting, suspected to be the work of one 24-year old male, is political in nature. There have also been death threats against critics that have given the film a negative review.
HOLLYWOOD REACTS!!!
Celebrities have also taken to Twitter to express their shock and sadness.
Ian Somerhalder: “My heart&those of many go out to the victims of #Aurora shooting last night. WHF is our world coming to? Pls,pls we must change.Seriously.”
Kal Penn: “Such awful news to wake up to out in Colorado.”
Ryan Seacrest: “Thinking about the families who were affected by this horrible incident in Colorado. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.”
Carson Daily: “Praying for those affected in #Aurora. Tragic beyond all belief. God bless you.”
Eva Longoria: My heart goes out to all the people affected in the Aurora, CO shooting. May God be with that town and their families…”
Dominic Monaghan: “I wonder if USA will have an open conversation about gun law after this tragic day in Aurora? Very sad.”
Whoopi Goldberg: “We Gotta stop looking for reasons here there is no reason only irrational acts by irrational people. All we can do is try 2 bring comfort.”
LeBron James: “Its just not fair that innocent people have to lose their lives over someone’s selfish stupidity acts! My stomach is hurting over this.”
Olivia Munn: “My sincerest condolences to the victims and families in Colorado. So sad, so mindless.”
Cheryl Burke: “My heart goes out to all the families and victims in Aurora, Colorado. This is insane!!”
Billy Ray Cyrus: “Oh no ! Just woke up and turned on the news ’14 dead 50 hurt in Batman movie shooting.’ Praying for victims. So sorry and sad.”
Lisa Rinna: “My heart and prayers goes out to the people of Aurora colorado. Senseless violence and killing has to stop. Tragic.”
John Stamos: “what devastating news to wake up to. my heart is with everyone involved in the Aurora #theatershooting. what the world needs now is…”
ABC NEWS: The Gunman’s Mother SPEAKS OUT!
ABC News was one of the first broadcast outlets to name 24-year-old James Holmes as the suspect who opened fire during a midnight “Dark Knight Rises” showing.
A woman identifying herself as the mother of Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes tells ABC News: “You have the right person.”
The woman, based in San Diego, also expressed concern that the 24-year-old Holmes was involved, saying: “I need to fly out to Colorado.”
ABC News was one of the first broadcast outlets on Friday morning to name Holmes as the masked gunman who shot dead 12 people and wounded dozens more at a screening of new Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo.
Holmes, who is from Aurora, was apprehended by police in parking lot of the Century 16 Movie Theaters; he claimed he had explosive devices in his apartment, which led to evacuation of buildings in the area.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunman burst into the movie theater around 30 minutes into the film, setting off a smoke bomb and opening fire. He carried a rifle, a shotgun and two pistols.
“The suspect throws tear gas in the air, and as the tear gas appears he started shooting,” Lamar Lane, who was at the screening with his brother, told ABC. “It was very hard to breathe. I told my brother to take cover. It took awhile. I started seeing flashes and screaming, I just saw blood and people yelling and a quick glimpse of the guy who had a gas mask on. I was pushed out. There was chaos, we started running.”
More witnesses have talked to NBC and CBS, describing a scene of panic and confusion as some moviegoers mistook the shooter’s gunshots as part of The Dark Knight Rises. One victim took to the internet to post a grisly image of his gunshot wound (via Reddit).
WHO IS JAMES HOLMES?
The 24-year old male reportedly had red-painted hair and called himself “The Joker”.
The shooter behind the movie theater massacre at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises is believed to be James Holmes, a 24-year-old California man who moved to Colorado last year to attend medical school.
Holmes, who has been taken into custody by police, was wearing a gas mask and a bulletproof vest as he entered the theater from an emergency exit at the front of the theater, threw a smoke bomb in front of the screen and then opened fire on the audience. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said that he had “his hair painted red, he said he was ‘The Joker,’ obviously the ‘enemy’ of Batman.”
The Joker was Batman’s enemy in 2008’s The Dark Knight, portrayed by Heath Ledger in an Oscar-winning performance. Traditionally, The Joker’s hair is green. At least 13 are dead, with more in critical condition; 38 are said to be injured.
Police that entered his apartment described it as “booby trapped” with sophisticated explosives, and expect to be there for days as they work through the bombs. He had a poster of Will Ferrell in Anchorman on his wall and left the same song playing on repeat. Holmes, a white male, lived in the apartment since May 2011; he was enrolled at the University of Colorado’s graduate school, pursuing his PhD in neuroscience, but the AP reports that he withdrew last month.
While he lives on the third floor of his building, all five of the buildings in his complex were evacuated. They are strictly university housing.
“I ask that the media respect the privacy not only of the family but the entire neighborhood,” a spokesperson for his family, who live in San Diego, said.
James Holmes used 3 different kinds of guns during his assault on a Colorado movie theater … including a high power assault rifle. The Aurora PD says Holmes was in possession of an AR-15, a Remington 870 shotgun and a 40 caliber glock handgun when he was arrested this morning.
Cops say they found another 40 caliber glock in the shooter’s car, located right outside the movie theater. An AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon … capable of firing off hundreds of rounds per minute.
[July 21st] … James Holmes took Vicodin 2-and-a-half hours before yesterday’s shooting rampage … this according to a new report. According to KMGH TV in Denver, Holmes took 100 mg of Vicodin late Thursday night.
Meanwhile a man who lived across the street from Holmes told the NY Post he used to “see him smoking weed behind the apartment.” He told the paper, “Nobody ever really talked to him. He was alone a lot.”
Holmes remains in custody and is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 AM on Monday.
LATEST UPDATE, A DAY AFTER!
A day after the shock and horror of the massacre at a suburban Denver movie theater, America looks to make sense of senseless terror.
With now over 24 hours after a masked man opened fire at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, shock was followed by President Obama’s speech and half-mast declaration; the identification of the suspect alleged to be behind the massacre; and plenty of punditry about the wisdom and necessity of gun-control laws.
Now, the detective work, recovery and mourning take center stage.
Aurora police on Friday announced that the apartment of James Holmes, the red-haired, Joker-mimicking alleged gunman, was booby trapped with a tripwire and a sophisticated setup of explosives.
On Saturday, police told press that there were 30 explosives in the apartment, as well as 30 more aerial shells. By late morning, they announced that they had mitigated and removed the tripwire, and defused the first explosive. They hope to be done with the disarming by the end of the day; residents of the five buildings in Holmes’ University of Colorado apartment complex were evacuated on Friday, and spent the night in the town’s Central High School.
Holmes will appear in court on Monday morning. In all, his melee has resulted in 12 deaths and 58 injuries. He purchased all four of his weapons legally in gun stores, while he obtained his ammunition over the internet.
One of the most prominent victims, at this stage, is Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sportscaster who, just last month, escaped a mass shooting in Toronto. A blog entry she wrote about it has gone viral, and serves as a sort of rallying call in the face of such devastation.
Meanwhile, Dark Knight Rises studio Warner Bros. is trying to balance respect for the tragedy with what should be a big-money opening weekend. Having already canceled Friday’s premiere in Paris, they announced that the big Mexican and Japanese premieres and press conferences would also be canceled. They also pledged to not report weekend box office grosses until Monday, though estimates have the film scoring a $165-170 million opening weekend domestically.
That will come despite the yanking of advertising for the film off major television networks.
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS
Ever since news broke of the heinous mass shooting in an Aurora, Colo., screening of The Dark Knight Rises Friday morning, everyone from President Obama to the film’s cast has offered their condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
Jessica Ghawi was one of the first victims identified, but now a complete list has been released. From the youngest – a 6-year-old girl, whose mother remains in critical condition – to the eldest – a 51-year-old father whose teens escaped the violence – here are their stories.
Jonathan Blunk
The father of two, Blunk, 26, served five years in the Navy and had planned a trip for the day after the screening to visit his children and estranged wife, Chantel, in Reno, Nev.
A.J. Boik
Eighteen-year-old Boik played lacrosse at Gateway High School in Aurora and worked for the Organo Gold coffee company. Boik’s girlfriend and another of his friends attended the screening with him, but they both survived the shooting.
Jesse Childress
Childress, a staff sergeant in the Air Force reserves, had been on active duty with the 310 Force Support Squadron.
Gordon Cowden
At 51, Cowden was the eldest victim. He had taken his two teenagers, who escaped unharmed. His family describes him as a “loving father, outdoorsman and small business owner, Cowden was a true Texas gentleman … A quick witted world traveler with a keen sense of humor, he will be remembered for his devotion to his children and for always trying his best to do the right thing.”
Jessica Ghawi
Jessica Ghawi/Courtesy Jessica Redfield
The aspiring sports journalist, 24 – whose professional name was Jessica Redfield – had blogged about her brush with fate last month, when she narrowly missed another random shooting at a Toronto mall. “I saw the victims of senseless crime. I saw lives change,” she wrote. “I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath.”
John Larimer
Naval Petty Officer Third Class John Larimer, 27, had been in the Navy since 2001. “He will be missed by all who knew him,” says his commanding officer, Cmdr. Jeffrey Jakuboski.
Micayla Medek
Medek was a student at the Community College of Aurora and was set to graduate in 2015. Under her Facebook’s “About” section, she wrote: “I’m a simple, independent girl (sic) who’s just trying to get her life together.”
Matt McQuinn
McQuinn, a 27-year-old Target store worker, had been protecting girlfriend Samantha Yowler from gunshots when he was hit. Although Yowler was struck in the knee, she is expected to make a full recovery.
Veronica Moser-Sullivan
Veronica Moser-Sullivan/Courtesy Sullivan Family
Just 6 years old, Veronica was the only child of Ashley Moser and had just recently learned to swim, her aunt Annie Dalton told reporters. Her mother was critically injured.
Alex Sullivan
An employee at the Aurora movie theater, Sullivan’s 27th birthday coincided with Friday morning’sDark Knight premiere. He also planned to celebrate his first wedding anniversary with his wife, Cassie, on Sunday.
Alex Teves
A recent graduate of the University of Denver, the 24-year-old Phoenix native had earned his master’s degree in counseling psychology.
Rebecca Wingo
A mother of two girls, Wingo, 32, had joined the Air Force after high school and became a translator after mastering Mandarin Chinese. “I hear she died instantly, without pain, however the pain is unbearable,” her father, Steve Hernandez, posted on Facebook. “Lord why, why, why???”
Alex Sullivan/AP
#AMS *(Perez,*E!*THR/Originally published on July 20, 2012 at 5:06 a.m. PT by E!)
~ The Adam's Corner ~ 
cassie
July 20, 2012
Don’t give this insect any importance,this is probably what he wanted. Don’t give him a place in history books, Put him in mental/police records for the murderous coward he is.He not only changed the lives of his victims Families forever, he has destroyed his parents as well. Don’t label his crime with Batman Murders, Dark night murders etc; , call it what it is,COLD BLOODED MURDER.