12 shot dead at 'Dark Knight Rises' screening in Aurora, Colorado

[GoldAussieGirl]

I couldnt believe it when i saw this. Its just terrible

Has anyone else noticed a real sharp increase of violence just recently? Im not talking the wars / suicide bombings that are raging but situations like this one, random shootings, home invasions, drive by shootings and vicious random attacks. Im in Australia so even just here ive really noticed it.

Satan certainly is busy. People really will start becoming "faint out of fear of the things coming upon the earth"

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/20/12850048-12-shot-dead-at-dark-knight-rises-screening-in-aurora-colorado?lite

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12 shot dead at 'Dark Knight Rises' screening in Aurora, Colorado

A mass shooting inside a suburban Denver movie theater has left 14 people dead and dozens of others injured. KUSA's Jake Larson, NBC's Pete Williams and NBC's Kristen Welker report for TODAY.

By NBC News' Pete Williams and NBCNews.com staff

Updated at 9:26 a.m. ET: Twelve people were killed and at least 50 others wounded early Friday when a gunman wearing a bullet-proof vest opened fire during a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie near Denver, authorities and witnesses said.

A three-month-old child and a six-year-old girl were among those treated, according to reports.

Authorities said the gunman had appeared at the front of the theater during the film and released a canister of tear gas. Witnesses told reporters that the gunfire erupted during a shootout scene in "The Dark Knight Rises".

Jennifer Seeger, who was inside the Aurora, Colo., movie theater where a gunman opened fire early Friday, describes the scene of the shooting as "mass chaos."

"It was mass chaos," witness Jennifer Seeger told TODAY. The gunman shot the ceiling and then "he threw in the gas can, and then I knew it was real."

"I told my friend, 'We've got to get out of here,' but then he shot people trying to go out the exits," she recalled. She said the shooter made his way up the aisle, shooting as he went, saying nothing.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates initially told journalists that 14 people had been killed but the figure was later lowered to 12.

A suspect was apprehended in the shopping center's parking lot, Oates said. He was named as 24-year-old James Holmes, two federal officials from different agencies told NBC News.

The incident occurred in the Century 16 Movie Theaters at the Aurora Town Center, police told NBC News. Aurora is a suburb less than 10 miles east of downtown Denver.

NBC station KUSA-Denver cited a witness as seeing a black-clad 6-foot-tall man wearing a riot helmet, goggles and bullet-proof vest.

However, many people attended the film dressed in Batman-related costumes.

Witnesses said the gunman entered the theater through an emergency exit door.

The suspect was found in possession of a gas mask, Oates said. Ammunition was found in the suspect's car, police said.

The shooter had three weapons -- an assault-type rifle and two handguns, officials told NBC News. Holmes' car has Tennessee plates but authorities say he was living locally.

Police name alleged gunman in Colorado theater shooting

Police said there was no evidence of additional suspects.

"We're pretty confident he acted alone," officer Frank Fania told TODAY.

At least 14 people were killed early Friday when at least one gunman opened fire at a midnight screening of the summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo. NBC's Matt Lauer reports.

Holmes' apartment building in north Aurora was evacuated after he made a statement to police about possible explosives at his home, Oates said. Local and federal authorities later entered the apartment.

An FBI official told NBC News that the agency was working with local authorities on the investigation, but that there was no early indication of a link to terrorism. Holmes was not on any federal law-enforcement watch lists, authorities told NBC News.

President Barack Obama had been notified of the incident by counterterrorism chief John Brennan, KUSA said.

In a statement, Obama said he was saddened by the "horrific and tragic shooting."

'Get us some damn gas masks'

Police raiding the theater in the hunt for the suspect had to ask for gas masks.

"Get us some damn gas masks for theater 9, we can't get in it," one officer radioed back to emergency dispatch during the operation, according to an excerpt aired on KUSA.

Brenda Stuart, of 850 KOA radio, told Sky News that bullets had passed from one theater into an adjoining one.

'A lot of children'

Seeger, the eyewitness, told TODAY there were "a lot of children" in the theater.

"When I ... tried to escape, there was a little girl, 12 or 13, just laying lifeless on the stairs," she said.

"I got terrified. I didn't know what to do, like a deer in the headlights. I jumped into the aisle and curled up into a little ball waiting for him to go away," she told TODAY.

More on this story from breakingnews.com

Tanner Coon, who was in the theater with a friend and the friend’s 12-year-old brother when the shooter came in, said he told them to "get down" when he heard the gunshots.

The shooter fired off about 20 rounds and there was then a pause and a “period of quietness when everybody started running out,” Coon said.

"I slipped on some blood and landed on a lady. I shook her and said we need to go. There was no response so I presume she was dead," Coon said.

Another eyewitness, Alex Milano, told KUSA that he "saw at least four, maybe five people limping, slightly wounded. ... I saw one girl covered in blood.

"I don't know whose little girl that was, but my heart goes out to them. ... A cop came walking through the front door ... holding a little girl in his arms and she wasn't moving, she wasn't moving," the young man, whose voiced cracked as he spoke, told KUSA.

'I thought it was pretty much the end of the world'

Roland Jones, 28, said he first thought the smoke and sounds of gunshots were all part of the film's special effects.

"I thought it was pretty much the end of the world," Roberts told the Denver Post.

Colorado shooting survivor: 'He pointed the gun right at me'

Tammi Stevens, who son was inside the cinema when the shooting started, told the Post he saw a man walk into the theater wearing body armor.

"You let your kids go to a late night movie ... you never think something like this would happen," Stevens told the newspaper.

Police cars transport the wounded

The injured were being transported to several local hospitals, police told NBC.

Corbin Dates was inside the Colorado movie theater where a gunman opened fire during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises." He describes the masked gunman dressed in black, saying he first thought the shooting was "a stunt" for the movie, and recalls crawling on the ground to escape to the lobby.

KOA's Stuart said that police officers were taking victims to hospitals in their cruisers and not waiting for ambulances.

Natalie Goldstein, of Children's Hospital Colorado, said the facility was treating six patients from the shooting, ranging in age from 6 to 31.

PhotoBlog: More images from the scene of the shooting in Aurora

Justin Bentzinger, a house supervisor at the Swedish Medical Center, told NBC News they were treating three patients. Two were in critical condition, the third was in fair condition.

Kalena Wilkinson, a public information officer for Denver Health, said six patients were taken to that hospital, with one in critical condition and the other five in "fair" conditions.

Tracy Weise, of the public relations department at Aurora Medical Center, told NBC News they had treated 15 patients, four of whom have been released. Of those still being treated, four remain in critical condition and three were stable. The conditions of the others remain pending.

Further local coverage from KUSA

Jacque Montgomery, a spokesperson for University of Colorado Hospital, told NBC News that they were treating 20 patients from the shooting.

At least three people had been treated for chemical exposure, KUSA reported.

Hundreds of witnesses who have not been injured have been taken to Gateway High School for a debriefing, local media reported.

Friday's incident was the worst mass shooting in the United States since the 2007 shooting on the Virginia Tech campus, in which 33 people, including the gunman, died.

It was the deadliest mass shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at the school in the Denver suburb of Littleton, about 15 miles west of Aurora, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school's library.

Movie's Paris premiere canceled

"The Dark Knight Rises," starring Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, is the latest in the popular Batman action movie franchise. Theatres around the world began showing it at 12:01 a.m. on Friday.

Warner Bros. canceled the Paris premiere of the film, which was scheduled for Friday evening, the Hollywood Reporter 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," the studio said in a statement.

[ava]

This was so weird reading this news this morning. Just last night at our meeting, some young ones were planning on going to see the midnight showing of this movie. I woke up to this news.

This is just such a terrible story, very, very sad.

What I don't understand is why there were so young children there. What parent brings a six year old to a midnight showing of a movie? I'm sure the parents were excited to see the movie, but can't they let their kids go to sleep and bring them to the movie during the day? Crazy.

Very very sad story. I don't understand what people are trying to accomplish when they go into a theater or a restaurant or a school and just start shooting at people randomly.

[pnutts]

The real question for witnesses should be-What were they even thinking of going to such a violent movie? Did we not just have conventions parts and WT articles dealing with violent entertainment?

[JSellenger]

Yes this is so sad when someone so sick decides to do such a thing. I just woke up and saw it on twitter before I was even out of bed. I can't imagine what goes through someones mind that they wake up one day and want to hurt random people they have never even met. We long for the day when Jehovah will end such things. My prayers are for the ones affected by this tragedy.

[nikviz]

The real question for witnesses should be-What were they even thinking of going to such a violent movie? Did we not just have conventions parts and WT articles dealing with violent entertainment?

*** w10 7/15 pp. 4-5 par. 9 What Jehovah’s Day Will Reveal ***

During Jehovah’s day, those who have been molded by the world and its evil spirit will display their true nature, even slaughtering one another. In fact, it could well be that the numerous forms of violent entertainment popular today are conditioning the minds of many for the time when each man’s hand “will actually come up against the hand of his companion.” (Zech. 14:13) How important, then, that we reject anything—movies, books, video games, and so on—that may engender within us traits that are detestable to God, such as pride and the love of violence! (2 Sam. 22:28; Ps. 11:5) Rather, let us cultivate the fruitage of God’s holy spirit, for such qualities will prove to be incombustible when the figurative heat is on.—Gal. 5:22, 23.

[Brother_Bliss]

Going to a midnight showing of any movie is just plain stupid, imho. If you gotta be the first to see something, well, gee, that's just a bit worldly, yeah? Have a little patience and see it during normal hours.

I'll just wait for it to come out on Blue-Ray. This way I won't get shot.

[nikviz]

yes on Blue-Ray is not longer violent

[JSellenger]

Going to a midnight showing of any movie is just plain stupid, imho.

You're showing your age there Bob! But, I admit, I am getting too old to do that on a work night myself. But if I don't have to be up early, I will sometimes catch a midnight show. I don't see anything wrong with it.

[Hallett 82]

In the old days of movie entertainment, the camera used to be aimed for best advantange towards glamorous leading ladies and men and movies had a purpose to entertain.

Now, the number of times we see gratuitous scenes of 'gun-barrel to camera' in the most graphic and menacing ways and heroes are mean, mass killers with firepower that would make Gaddaffi proud.

The Bible is pointed in its condemnation of weaponry, why it is used and the motives of those who use (or watch) them.

Matthew 26:52. has Jesus and Jehovah's advice on the use of weaponry. How can people twist that teaching into "its OK if the weapons are for entertainment"?

This reminds me of the recent WT on obedience to the command to marry only in the lord. The paragraph made a good point when it suggested a prayer of a Christian who disobeyed and married out of the truth and then asks Jehovah to bless him/her makes one a hypocrite.

We need to remember that we reap what we sow and that applies to our sources, places and times of entertainment too.

If nothing else. . . let us learn to benefit ourselves from this tragedy.

[Brother_Bliss]

yes on Blue-Ray is not longer violent

Love Batman. Will see this movie. You're all welcome to get all fundamentalist on my hind end all you want

[Hallett 82]

. . . You're all welcome to get all fundamentalist on my hind end all you want

Nah! a good butt-kicking takes way too much energy and us couch potatoes are a calorie conservative lot.

[Brother_Bliss]

Going to a midnight showing of any movie is just plain stupid, imho.

You're showing your age there Bob! But, I admit, I am getting too old to do that on a work night myself. But if I don't have to be up early, I will sometimes catch a midnight show. I don't see anything wrong with it.

Ahhhhh.... no!!!! Don't mention me and aging in the same breath. I refuse to get old. I will not give in.

I suppose if I were.... younger.... I would consider a midnight showing. But not in Colorado!

[pnutts]

Bob -you are really showing your age- According to your picture -You are now Completely Follicle(y) Challenged

That's why I wear a hat in cooler weather, myself.

[Musky]

The shooting suspect's (James Holmes) mother lives a few blocks from us here is the Penesquitos area of San Diego. Lots of news reporter activity right now.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/19074152/colorado-theater-shooting-suspect-from-san-diego

[JSellenger]

The shooting suspect's (James Holmes) mother lives a few blocks from us here is the Penesquitos area of San Diego. Lots of news reporter activity right now.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/19074152/colorado-theater-shooting-suspect-from-san-diego

How horrible for her! Its easy to think of the victims, but the family of the shooter must just be destroyed inside. I can't imagine how I would react if someone in my family did this.

[Cherie]

Yeah, when I saw the interview with the spokesperson in front of the parents' house, I wondered if it was in proximity to your and Gabriele's home.

[bohemian]

Latest news is that a trailer being shown at the Batman showings has been pulled from view. The trailer is for a gangster film in which a gunman shoots people in a cinema!

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/

[Hallett 82]

. . . . The trailer is for a gangster film in which a gunman shoots people in a cinema!/

Pulling that trailer now is a case of "too little, too late"

Now a major tool the FBI and Police will be using to solve mass killings is the. IMDb site.

[severner]

I will stick to the old movies that are milder. Can not handle the rowdy crowds anymore and therefore I stay home to enjoy my Old classics.

[rocket]

Looking at the guys mug shot, he looks as if he is as proud as a peacock for what he did. I only hope some one wipes the smile off his face. I know that is a sinful thought but the whole thing makes me sick at heart.

[retroHelen]

Another mass shooting reminding me of what happened in and around our town a few years ago.

Glad they caught the shooter in this case in the cinema car-park before he possibly went on to create more chaos and sadness elsewhere as the shooter in our area did. Many in and around our town were locked in banks or shops or at home for hours while the Police tried to find the shooter here, who for hours was rampaging around the countryside randomly shooting innocent people in the village streets and country lanes.

It was heart-breaking for the shooter's mother here in the village of Ennerdale, who ended up in hospital quite poorly with the stress, and his sons here and they had to have protection from nosey intrusive reporters for quite a while while they grieved - the shooter here also shot his brother and the family solicitor before going on to pick on many folk randomly.

[barbara10]

I scanned the articles today about this shooting - does anyone know if there were any Witnesses at that showing? I know, myself, I would not go to see it - not at a theater and especially at midnight (to each their own conscience). My bedtime is 9:00 anyway! I kinda understand why the theater was sold out - people want to be the first to see it, but at what price? Explanations were given on TV that parents with young children had an opportunity out for the night, and the youngest kids were sleeping anyway. But what a TRAGEDY! I was at a Bible Study this morning when the President got on the TV to express his shock and condolences. My partner and I had an opportunity to give a fine witness to the the Bible Study about these last days. So, so sad for all involved.

[Brother_Bliss]

I scanned the articles today about this shooting - does anyone know if there were any Witnesses at that showing?

Since there are midnight showings all over the country, I am sure there were some. Not so sure about there in Aurora, Colorado though.

[ava]

I scanned the articles today about this shooting - does anyone know if there were any Witnesses at that showing?

Since there are midnight showings all over the country, I am sure there were some. Not so sure about there in Aurora, Colorado though.

I just spoke to a friend in Colorado, as far as he has heard, there were no witnesses at the movie.

[Micah]

Went and saw the movie tonight. Pretty good film. Just weird watching all the cops coming in and out of the theater. I used the headphones for the deaf and hearing impaired. When I went to return them, the cops were following me. LOL...... It felt like an apocolyptic film. Just surreal....