Mass shooting at Batman premiere in Colorado

A GUNMAN in a gas mask and body armour hurled a gas canister and opened fire in a sold-out Colorado theater during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, killing 12 people and injuring 59. 
 

A man is walked out of the cinema in Aurora, appearing
to be covered in blood. Picture: YouTube Source: Supplied

When the smoke began to spread, some moviegoers thought it was a stunt that was part of The Dark Knight Rises, one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer. Then they saw a silhouette of a person in the smoke at the front of the theater, pointing a gun at the crowd.
The shooter was arrested shortly after the attack, and law enforcement officials identified him as 24-year-old citizen and neuroscience graduate student James Holmes.

In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: "It clearly looks like a deranged individual. He has his hair painted red. He said he was the Joker, obviously the enemy of Batman."

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates says the suspect was arrested soon after officers arrived.

Hundreds of calls came in starting at 12:39am local time and first officers were on the scene within 60 to 90 seconds, he said.
He says 24-year-old James Holmes was taken into custody at his white Hyundai parked in back of the theater.

The chief says officers found an AR-15 assault rifle - the civilian form of the M16 - a Remington 12-gauge shotgun and a .40-calibre Glock handgun in the theater and another handgun in the car. Oates says the gunman set off two devices to distract the crowd that released a smoke or an irritant.
Authorities did not release a motive. The FBI said there was no indication the shooting was tied to any terrorist groups.

Jacob Stevens, 18, hugs his mother Tammi Stevens
after being interviewed by police after
the shooting. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez) Source: AP

The shooting immediately brought memories of the massacre at nearby Columbine High School in 1999, where two students opened fire and killed 12 classmates and a teacher. Friday's attack was the worst mass shooting in the US since an Army psychiatrist killed 13 soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.

Holmes wore body armor, Oates said. He said investigators are confident the gunman acted alone.
FBI agents and police also discovered Holmes' apartment was booby trapped. Authorities evacuated five buildings as they determined how to disarm flammable and explosive material.
"It's something I've never seen before," Oates said.

While some witnesses said the gunman entered through a side-door emergency exit at the front of the theater, a federal law enforcement official said the suspect bought a ticket and went into the theater as part of the crowd. He is believed to have propped open an exit door as the movie was playing, put on protective ballistic gear and opened fire. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Authorities said 10 bodies were still in the theater Friday afternoon. Some of the injured were children, with the youngest a 4-month-old baby who has been released from treatment. Victims were being treated for chemical exposure apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman.
The Pentagon said some military members were either killed or wounded. Aurora is home to a large Defense Department satellite intelligence operation at Buckley Air Force Base.

Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver graduate school, university spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said. University officials earlier said he was a student at the university's medical school.
Holmes was in the process of withdrawing at the time of the shootings, Montgomery said.
Police released a written statement from Holmes' family: "Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved."

Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver graduate school, university spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said. University officials earlier said he was a student at the university's medical school.

Holmes was in the process of withdrawing at the time of the shootings, Montgomery said.
Police released a written statement from Holmes' family: "Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved."
A man who lives next door to the family said Holmes seemed to be shy. Tom Mai said the mother told him Holmes couldn't find a job after earning a master's degree from a public university in California.

The Dark Knight Rises opened across the world this week, but the shooting prompted officials to cancel the Paris premiere, with workers pulling down the red carpet display at a theater on the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue. Two police officers were stationed outside the AMC theater in New York's Times Square.

"Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are 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.

President Barack Obama said he was saddened by the "horrific and tragic shooting," and he cut short campaigning to return to the White House.
In Washington, the Department of Homeland Security held a conference call with officials from the commercial, entertainment and shopping mall industries to discuss what security measures they could take in the future.