2012 Aurora theater shooting: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 39°42′21″N 104°49′14″W / 39.7059°N 104.8206°W / 39.7059; -104.8206
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== Victims ==
== Victims ==
{| style="float:right; clear:right; margin:1em; width:22em; border:1px solid #a0a0a0; padding:4px; background:#f5f5f5; text-align:left;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
|'''Victims'''
|- style="text-align:left; font-size:x-small;"
|1. '''Jessica Ghawi''' (23) [[San Antonio, Texas]]<ref name="Jessica">{{cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/colo-shooting-victim-jessica-ghawi-jolt-lighting-mother/story?id=16819751#.UAqgu7RrP0c|title=Colo. Shooting Victim Jessica Ghawi: 'She Was Like a Jolt of Lighting,' Mother Says |publisher=''[[ABC News]]'' |date=July 20, 2012 | accessdate = July 21, 2012}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:left; font-size:x-small;"
|2. '''Micayla Medek''' (23) [[Aurora, Colorado]]<ref name="Micayla">{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-colorado-shooting-micayla-medek-20120720,0,6914334.story|title=Colorado shooting: Micayla Medek, 23, was killed, relative says |publisher=''[[LA Times]]'' |date=July 20, 2012 | accessdate = July 21, 2012}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:left; font-size:x-small;"
|3. '''Alex Sullivan''' (27) [[Aurora, Colorado]]<ref name="Alex">{{cite web |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/281682/colorado-shooting-victim-alex-sullivan-killed-on-his-birthday-family-searched-all-day-for-kin/|title=Colorado Shooting Victim Alex Sullivan Killed on His Birthday, Family Searched All Day For Kin
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/281682/colorado-shooting-victim-alex-sullivan-killed-on-his-birthday-family-searched-all-day-for-kin/#aGReE9quTl06ssRP.99 |publisher=''The Inquisitr'' |date=July 21, 2012 | accessdate = July 21, 2012}}</ref>
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Ten people died at the scene, and two people were pronounced dead in local hospitals.<ref name="cnn120720m" /> A total of 70 people were shot, with 58 people injured in addition to the 12 deaths.<ref name="DenverPost" /><ref name="NYT_2012/07/20" /><ref name="cnn120720m" /><ref name="CBS1" />
Ten people died at the scene, and two people were pronounced dead in local hospitals.<ref name="cnn120720m" /> A total of 70 people were shot, with 58 people injured in addition to the 12 deaths.<ref name="DenverPost" /><ref name="NYT_2012/07/20" /><ref name="cnn120720m" /><ref name="CBS1" />


Revision as of 12:36, 21 July 2012

2012 Aurora shooting
Location of the shootings
Bottom left: Map of Colorado with Denver and Aurora marked.
Top: Map of central Aurora.
Bottom right: Aurora Town Center and the location of the Century 16 movie theater.
Location14300 E. Alameda Avenue
Aurora, Colorado, U.S.[1]
Coordinates39°42′21″N 104°49′14″W / 39.7059°N 104.8206°W / 39.7059; -104.8206
DateJuly 20, 2012 (2012-07-20)
12:39 am (local time) (UTC-6)
Attack type
Mass murder
WeaponsSmith & Wesson AR-15, Remington Model 870, two .40 caliber Glock handguns[2][3]
Deaths12
Injured58[4][5]

On July 20, 2012, a gunman opened fire during a midnight premiere of the film The Dark Knight Rises in a Cinemark movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others. The gunman, acting alone and dressed in protective clothing, entered the theater and set off tactical grenades, then opened fire on the theatergoers with multiple firearms. The attack received worldwide media coverage, being one of the deadliest mass murders in contemporary United States history.

Shooting

The attack occurred in Theater 9 at the Century 16 movie theater next to the Town Center at Aurora shopping mall. The shooter bought a ticket and walked into Theater 9. He then left through an emergency exit, propping it open, and dressed in protective black clothing and gathered weapons from his car, which was parked behind the exit.[7] He returned through the emergency exit about half an hour into the film,[8] "dressed all in black; he was wearing a ballistic helmet, a tactical ballistic vest, ballistic leggings, a throat protector and a groin protector and a gas mask, and black tactical gloves," according to Aurora police chief Dan Oates.[9][1][10][11]

Oates said that the suspect used two devices to distract the audience members, which "ignited some sort of irritant or smoke" in the cinema,[12] before using a Smith & Wesson AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 12-gauge Remington Model 870 shotgun, and a .40 caliber Glock handgun to shoot at the crowd in the cinema. A second Glock handgun was found in the suspect's white Hyundai car behind the cinema.[13][14]

Most of the audience did not take the gunman as a threat when he first entered the theater. He appeared to be wearing a costume, but others too had dressed up for the movie and thought the gunman was pulling off a prank until he dispersed gas canisters and began firing his weapons.[8] Some present thought the gunman was part of a special effects installation set up for the premiere.[15]

Around the first gun scene in the movie, the now masked gunman threw a canister emitting smoke, which partially obscured the audience's sight. The gunman produced a rifle and opened fire on the audience, only stopping to reload his weapon.[16] First he shot to the back of the room, and then aimed towards people who were trying to get away through the aisles.[15] Some bullets penetrated the wall of the cinema and injured people in the adjoining Theater 8, where the same film was being screened.[7] Upon leaving, an audience member saw the gunman advancing toward the exit and blocked his progress by holding the exit shut while the attacker pounded the other side of the door.[16]

The first phone calls to emergency services were made at 12:39 am, and the police arrived less than 90 seconds later, and apprehended the suspect.[17] The police interviewed over 200 witnesses following the attack.[18] Investigators believe that the shooter acted on his own, and was not part of a larger group or a terrorist organization.[17] The alleged shooter, James Eagan Holmes, had bought approximately 6,000 rounds of ammunition in the 60 days prior to the shooting.[19][20]

Victims

Victims
1. Jessica Ghawi (23) San Antonio, Texas[21]
2. Micayla Medek (23) Aurora, Colorado[22]
3. Alex Sullivan (27) Aurora, Colorado[23]
4. TBA
5. TBA
6. TBA
7. TBA
8. TBA
9. TBA
10. TBA
11. TBA
12. TBA

Ten people died at the scene, and two people were pronounced dead in local hospitals.[7] A total of 70 people were shot, with 58 people injured in addition to the 12 deaths.[4][5][7][24]

The injured were treated at Children's Hospital, Denver Health Medical Center, Medical Center of Aurora, Parker Adventist Hospital, Rose Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, and University Hospital,[25][26] as well as at a makeshift hospital set up at the scene of the attack.[27] Uninjured witnesses were transported to Gateway High School for debriefing. The victims' ages ranged from 3 months to 45 years. Three members of the U.S. military were members of the injured.[19]

The Department of Defense said one sailor, John Larimer stationed in Aurora with the U.S. Navy, was known to have been at the theater and is unaccounted for.[28][29]

Suspect

At the scene

The alleged shooter, James Eagan Holmes (born December 13, 1987),[6][30][31] was taken into police custody at the scene.[32] He was found next to his car in the theater parking lot and did not resist arrest. The responding officers recovered multiple firearms from inside the vehicle.[33] Two federal authorities told ABC News that the suspect painted his hair red and called himself "The Joker," although Aurora police chief Dan Oates would not confirm this.[34]

Suspected explosives

Once apprehended, Holmes told authorities about explosives in his residence in northern Aurora.[19] Police were treating the home, 5 miles (8 km) from the scene of the crime,[25] as a site where explosives might be present.[10] According to the police, Holmes himself told them that he had booby-trapped his apartment before heading to the theater; as a result, police evacuated five nearby buildings and cleared the area.[35] Police stated that the explosives "look[ed] very sophisticated."[36] The apartment complex[37] is limited to University of Colorado Medical Center students, patients, and staff members.[19] FBI agents and police officers used a ladder to access Holmes' apartment, where they used a camera mounted on a pole to confirm that the apartment was booby-trapped with explosives.[38]

Biography

Holmes was raised in San Diego, California.[19] He graduated from Westview High School in the Torrey Highlands community of San Diego in 2006, where he played soccer and ran cross-country before going to college.[39][40] He obtained an undergraduate degree with honors[41] in neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside in 2010.[42] Holmes enrolled as a PhD student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. In 2012, his academic performance declined,[43] and he was in the process of withdrawing from school.[44] He had no prior criminal record.[35]

Media outlets reported that they initially found few digital footprints left by Holmes, other than a university email address and an old Myspace photo.[45]

Reactions

President Obama speaking with the mayor of Aurora following the shooting

President Barack Obama extended his condolences to the victims and their families, addressing the tragedy in lieu of a scheduled campaign event. Both Obama's and Mitt Romney's election campaigns temporarily suspended television advertising in Colorado for the upcoming presidential election.[46][47] Secretary Janet Napolitano also directed the Department of Homeland Security to offer support in the investigation.[48] President Obama ordered flags at government buildings flown at half staff, in tribute to the victims, until July 25.[49]

The distributor of The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros., stated that they were deeply saddened by the shooting. They canceled the film's Paris premiere[50] and suspended the marketing campaign for it in Finland.[51] The police departments in the New York metropolitan area increased security after the attack.[52] Certain versions of television advertisements for the movie have been cancelled.[53] Warner Bros. stopped showing a trailer for the film Gangster Squad, which preceeded the Aurora screening at which the shooting occurred, because it included a scene involving a mass shooting in a movie theater.[54][55]

The evening after the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held at the site.[56]

References

  1. ^ a b Parker, Ryan; Lee, Kurtis; Ingold, John; Steffen, Jordan; Brown, Jennifer (July 20, 2012). "Family identifies 27-year-old victim of Aurora theater shooting". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  2. ^ "Police: Suspect wore body armor, used assault rifle, shotgun, Glock handgun in theater attack". CBS. Associated Press. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  3. ^ "Batman premiere gunman looked like 'assassin ready for war'". CBC News. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Family identifies 27-year-old victim of Aurora theater shooting". Denver Post. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Dan Frosch (July 20, 2012). "Gunman Kills 12 in Colorado, Reviving Gun Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Thomas, Pierre; et al. (July 20, 2012). "Aurora 'Dark Knight' Shooting Suspect Identified: James Holmes". ABC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012. {{cite news}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last2= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e Carter, Chelsea J.; Pearson, Michael (July 20, 2012). "Gunman turns 'Batman' screening into real-life 'horror film'". CNN. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Muskal, Michael (July 20, 2012). "Questions, but few answers, in Colorado shooting; 12 dead, dozens hurt". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  9. ^ "Theater Rampage Jolts Nation". The Wall Street Journal. July 20, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "70 Shot In Movie Theater Mass Shooting; 12 Killed". The Denver Channel. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  11. ^ Levs, Josh; Castillo, Mariano (July 20, 2012). "Gunman turns movie into surreal horror: 'This is real'". CNN. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  12. ^ Statement by Chief Dan Oates on Channel 7 News, Denver. Date: July 20, 2012.
  13. ^ Josh Voorhees (July 20, 2012). "Gunman Shoots 71, Kills 12, at Midnight Dark Knight Opening". Slate. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  14. ^ "Aurora theater shooting: 12 dead, 58 injured, chief won't address Joker rumors". Denver: Westword. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  15. ^ a b Pilkington, Ed (July 20, 2012). "Colorado theater shooting: 12 shot dead during The Dark Knight Rises screening". The Guardian. Retrieved July 20, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b "Witness tried to keep door closed on Colo. gunman". Google News. Associated Press. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Horwitz, Sari (July 20, 2012). "Police say Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes had 2 pistols, assault rifle, shotgun". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  18. ^ "Aurora shooting: 12 dead as gunman opens fire at movie theater: live updates". The Guardian. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  19. ^ a b c d e Sandall, Clayton; Dolak, Kevin; Curry, Colleen (July 20, 2012). "Colorado Movie Theater Shooting: Suspect Bought 4 Guns, 6,000 Rounds of Ammunition in Past 60 Days". ABC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  20. ^ M. Alex Johnson (July 20, 2012). "Police: Weeks of planning went into shootings that killed 12, injured scores at Batman screening in Colorado". NBC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Colo. Shooting Victim Jessica Ghawi: 'She Was Like a Jolt of Lighting,' Mother Says". ABC News. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ "Colorado shooting: Micayla Medek, 23, was killed, relative says". LA Times. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Colorado Shooting Victim Alex Sullivan Killed on His Birthday, Family Searched All Day For Kin Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/281682/colorado-shooting-victim-alex-sullivan-killed-on-his-birthday-family-searched-all-day-for-kin/#aGReE9quTl06ssRP.99". The Inquisitr. July 21, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); line feed character in |title= at position 95 (help)
  24. ^ "Shooting Suspect Attacked During 'Dark Knight Rises' Movie". CBS Denver. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  25. ^ a b Minshew, Charles (July 20, 2012). "Map: Aurora theater shooting, suspect's apartment, hospitals". The Denver Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  26. ^ Channel 7 News, Denver. Date: July 20, 2012.
  27. ^ "Fourteen shot dead at Batman film premiere". Sky News. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  28. ^ "After day of agony, families in Colorado get tragic confirmation". CNN. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  29. ^ Chuck, Elizabeth (July 20, 2012). "Anxious for word of missing moviegoers, some families get the worst news". NBCNews.com. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  30. ^ Horwitz, Sari; Wilgoren, Debbi (July 20, 2012). "James Holmes, 24, identified as alleged Colorado shooter". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  31. ^ "James Holmes Aurora Colorado shooting suspect's apartment being searched after Dark Knight shooting". WPTV TV/NewsChannel 5. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  32. ^ "Shooting at Batman premiere in Denver". ABC News (Australia). July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  33. ^ Rosenfeld, Everett (July 20, 2012). "Shooting Rampage at Dark Knight Rises Showing in Colo.; 14 Dead". Time. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  34. ^ "Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Says He 'Was the Joker': Cops – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  35. ^ a b "Colo. shooting suspect James Holmes' apartment booby trapped, police say". CBS News. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  36. ^ "Colo. suspect's apartment 'booby-trapped'". Clinton News-Record. Reuters. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  37. ^ Holden, Will C. (July 20, 2012). "Slideshow: Aurora theater shooting scene, suspect's booby-trapped apartment". KDVR (Fox 31 Denver). Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  38. ^ "12 killed in shooting at Colo. movie theater". The Monitor. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  39. ^ BANDA and PEIPERT, P. SOLOMON and THOMAS. "Movie Massacre: Shock, Sadness, a Search for Clues". ABC News. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  40. ^ Lohr, David (July 20, 2012). "Colorado Shooting: What We Know About James Holmes (UPDATED)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  41. ^ Whitaker, Bill (July 20, 2012). "Colo. suspect James Holmes "smart" but "quiet," teachers and neighbors say". CBS News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  42. ^ Stickney, R.; Tevrizian, Megan; Powell, Brandi (July 20, 2012). "Westview HS Graduate 'Acted Alone' in Deadly Rampage: Investigators". NBC San Diego. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  43. ^ Leonning, Carol (July 20, 2012). "James Eagan Holmes held in Colorado shooting". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  44. ^ "Statement from the university on James Holmes | Newsroom | University of Colorado Denver". Ucdenver.edu. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
  45. ^ Stern, Joanna (July 20, 2012). "James Holmes: Colorado Shooting Suspect Had Few Digital Fingerprints". ABC News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  46. ^ Weiner, Rachel (July 20, 2012). "Obama, Romney pull Colorado ads off air in wake of Aurora shooting". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  47. ^ Nakamura, David (July 20, 2012). "Obama, Romney express condolences for Colorado shooting victims". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  48. ^ Rockwell, Mark (July 20, 2012). "DHS offers investigative support in movie theater rampage". Government Security News. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  49. ^ Wing, Nick (July 20, 2012). "Obama Colorado Shooting Proclamation: Flags To Be Flown At Half Staff For Victims". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  50. ^ Leffler, Rebecca (July 20, 2012). "'Dark Knight Rises' Paris premiere scrapped following U.S. shootings". NBCNews.com. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  51. ^ Blencowe, Annette (July 20, 2012). "Batman-elokuvan nettikampanja keskeytettiin Suomessa" (in Finnish). Yle.fi. Retrieved July 20, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  52. ^ "Colorado Shooting 2012: Witness Says Gunman Shot Anyone Trying To Leave". The Huffington Post. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  53. ^ White, Michael; Palmeri, Christopher; Lee, Edmund (July 20, 2012). "Warner Bros. Said to Pull Some TV Ads for 'Dark Knight'". BusinessWeek. Bloomberg. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  54. ^ Bindley, Katherine (July 20, 2012). "'Gangster Squad' Trailer With Theater Shooting Scene Pulled From 'Dark Knight' By Warner Bros. (UPDATED)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  55. ^ Finke, Nikki. "Warner Bros Pulls Trailer Of Gangster Shooting Up Movie Theater". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  56. ^ Blond, Becka (July 21, 2012). "Home > News > Nation & World Tearful vigils remember victims of Aurora massacre". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 21, 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2012_Aurora_theater_shooting&oldid=503429659"