Church Analytics

Friday, July 20, 2012

12 killed in movie premiere of Batman Rises in Aurora, Colorado

At least 12 dead and 50 injured after gunman opens fire during showing of 'The Dark Knight Rises' at Aurora, Colo., theater. Police say they have a suspect in custody, identified as James Holmes, 24, who witnesses say was armed with a rifle and handguns, and who wore what appeared to be a bullet-proof vest and gas mask.
Witnesses say he was masked and wore black clothes when he set off some sort of explosive and then opened fire in one of five theaters in the complex that was hosting a midnight showing of the movie, witnesses told reporters.
It was reported that he shot an infant at point blank range at the theatre...smh!

James Wilburn was sitting in the second row of theater 9 after midnight when an emergency door opened and a man entered, the Denver Post reports.
"He was dressed in black," Wilburn told the newspaper. "Wearing a flack jacket and a gas mask."
Holmes was carrying a shotgun and had a rifle strapped to his back, Wilburn said. The gunman then dropped a canister, causing a noxious gas to spew out. He raised the shotgun and repeatedly fired toward the back of the theater.
Wilburn and three friends dove to the floor, hiding behind seats in front of them. The gunman was only five or six feet away, he said.
Once the shotgun was empty, the gunman calmly dropped it to the floor, took the rifle and went on firing. Wilburn heard roughly 30 shots, the Denver Post reports.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old Naya Thompson and her 22-year-old boyfriend Derrick Poage were running for their lives. Thompson said the gas spread and the gunman may have dropped two canisters.
"It was like a tear gas," Thompson told the newspaper. "I was coughing and choking and I couldn't breathe."
Benjamin Fernandez, 30, told the Denver Post he was watching the movie when he heard several explosions. He said that people ran from the theater and there were gunshots as police shouted 'get down!"
"They were just expecting everybody to get to their car and just get out. Everybody that was hurt – there was blood everywhere. It was crazy.”
Jaime Marshall told Fox News Channel she was in an adjacent theater when explosions rang out during a shooting scene in the blockbuster film.
“We thought someone was just pranking us in the movie,” she said. Then, a man ran in and told people to get out, she said. “He said, ‘Don’t walk through the lobby, someone’s shooting.’”
She said when the lights came on, she saw bullet holes that had come through from the adjacent theater where the shooting took place. “We saw a girl who had been shot in the leg, and people covered with blood,” she said
The theater was packed, and there were many children in attendance, according to witnesses.
It was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. since the 2007 shooting on the Virginia Tech campus.
Some moviegoers said they thought the attack was part of the show. Then they saw a silhouette of a person in the smoke at the front of the theater, pointing a gun at the crowd.
"I told my friend, `We've got to get out of here,' but then he shot people trying to go out the exits," Jennifer Seeger told NBC's "Today." She the shooter made his way up the aisle, shooting as he went, saying nothing.
The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken. Their condition wasn't known.
When the suspect's Parents were contacted, his Mom said Yes she believes her son was capable of doing that. She said " Yes I am sure you have the right person". His parents both live in San Diego but his Dad is currently on his way to Colorado to help the Police.
Update:
The suspect who surrendered to the Police without a fight is refusing to cooperate with the Police. Police suspect his apartment is booby-trapped with explosives etc.
The six year old who was shot last night just died this morning. Her father confirmed this.

More Update: The suspect, James Holmes withdrew from University of Colorado Medical School last month, it's not confirmed yet, but they think he was studying Biology.

2 comments:

Rahul said...

Anyone here old enough to remember the 80s? Before the 'tea party' and Obama and 'homegrown Islamic terrorists'? This type of crime has been committed before, remember that white guy who stormed a McDonalds and blew about 35 people away?? Back then, we were able to say 'crazy criminal' without blaming all American citizens, politics, religions, and race. Crime was crime. NO ONE said 'that guy who rampaged the McDonalds was probably an atheist racist communist right winger!!' He was just...bad...we need to get back to that. BAd is just bad, wrong is just wrong.

Anonymous said...

I was born in the late 80s so I dont know about all that but I know BAD is BAD and we should call it what it is.

That guy isn't crazy, he is pure EVIL.
He had a shotgun, a rifle, 2 handguns and lots of ammunitions in his Apt.
The sad part is that if he gets the death sentence, it will take 15-20 years before he gets executed but I'm not sure if CO even has the death penalty. If he gets sentenced to death, he may live to be 80 or 90yrs old and that sucks!!