Updated: Gunman Opens Fire During Midnight Showing of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ Killing Movie-Goers in Denver
Update 2: The police have now corrected the death toll to 12, down from 14. They’ve also identified the suspect they have in custody as 24-year-old James Holmes from Aurora and said he didn’t resist arrest.
Update 1: Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates confirms at least 14 dead. Ten died in the theater and four more died in area hospitals. At least 50 others were injured. The police found a male suspect near the theater matching the description given by witnesses in possession of a gas mask, a shotgun and at least one handgun. That male suspect is now in custody. The police currently have no evidence of a second gunman.
The police are asking that anyone who saw anything contact them with that information.
Original: According to 9 News in Aurora [live stream], a single gunman wearing a gas mask entered Theater #9 at Town Center Movie Theaters during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in the suburb of Denver, Colorado and began shooting into the crowd. There are also reports of a possible small explosion and smoke filling the theater and one adjacent.
One witness said it happened during a shoot out scene and that several people thought it might be a promotional element to the screening until a theater representative sounded the fire alarm and used the PA system to tell everyone to evacuate. The same witness reported that the gunman was throwing tear gas into the crowd to keep them from leaving.
9 News is currently saying that at least 10 people have been killed, 39 total were sent to local hospitals and that 1 person is in custody. Of course, these numbers might change as more information comes to light.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Aurora tonight.