Batman US cinema shooting: 12
dead in Colorado
20 July 2012 Last updated at
17:10
At least 12 people have been
killed and dozens wounded in a
shooting at a midnight cinema
showing of the new Batman
film near Denver, Colorado.
Witnesses said a man wearing a
gas mask opened fire after
tossing a tear gas canister in the
auditorium as movie-goers
watched The Dark Knight Rises.
A 24-year-old former medical
student was arrested in a car
park nearby. He had a rifle,
handgun and knife.
Another gun was recovered from
the theatre, in the city of Aurora.
Police revised down the death
toll from 14 earlier. They said
about 50 people had been shot,
including the deceased.
'Booby-trapped home'
FBI sources named the gunman
as Aurora resident James Holmes,
a white American. They said no
terrorism link had been
established.
Police said he had been a student
at the University of Colorado
School of Medicine in Denver until
he dropped out last month.
US President Barack Obama has
spoken of his shock at the
incident, which began at about
00:30 local time (06:30 GMT) at
the Century 16 cinema multiplex.
Acting on information from the
suspect, the authorities said they
had discovered his home in the
north of Aurora was booby-
trapped with flammable and
explosive material.
The apartment complex was
evacuated as FBI agents and
police used a fire engine ladder
to reach the property, and put a
camera on the end of pole to
look inside.
Police chief Dan Oates said the
massacre was "a horrific event".
"The shooting apparently went
on for some time," he added.
Witnesses said the gunman
opened fire during an action
scene in the summer
blockbuster.
The gunman was described as
wearing a bullet-proof vest and
riot gear, an outfit similar to that
of the villain Bane in The Dark
Knight Rises.
There was chaos as movie-goers,
some dressed in costume as
heroes and villains, fled.
Ten people were killed at the
cinema and two others died later
in hospital of their wounds.
Many ambulances attended the
scene.
'Firing at random'
About 50 people, some in a
critical condition, were taken to
four hospitals. Several victims
were reportedly suffering from
the effects of chemical exposure
from the canister thrown by the
gunman.
The casualties included a four-
month-old baby, who was
released from hospital after
treatment, and a six-year-old
child.
One witness said the gunman
had been "slowly making his way
up the stairs and just firing -
picking random people".
Another witness, Chayyiel
Jackson, told the BBC: "During the
first action scene in the movie,
on the right side a dude came in
all blacked out, with a black
mask. At first we thought it was
part of the movie event.
"He threw tear gas across the
crowd and after that people
started to panic. He pulled out a
rifle and started shooting.
"I was wondering if this was real
life or a dream."
It is reported that some of the
shots fired went through the
wall and may have hit people in
an adjacent auditorium.
Another eyewitness, identified
only as Pam, told the BBC: "He
fired a canister into the air. It
shot it right into the air, then I
started to hear the bang, bang,
bang of a gun.
"I crawled my way through the
row. Luckily the exit was close to
where I was sitting so I got out
pretty fast. I heard more shots as
I left."
Another eyewitness, Salina
Jordan, 19, told the Denver Post
she had seen one girl shot in the
cheek, and a girl who appeared
to be about nine years old with a
gunshot wound to the stomach.
A witness in the next-door
theatre told 9News he initially
thought live special effects had
been laid on by the cinema after
hearing loud bangs and seeing
smoke.
President Obama said in a
statement that he and First Lady
Michelle Obama were "shocked
and saddened by the horrific and
tragic shooting".
He added: "As we do when
confronted by moments of
darkness and challenge, we must
now come together as one
American family."
New York Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly said his officers
would patrol screenings of the
film in that city to deter any
copycat shootings.
Plans for Friday night's red
carpet premiere of the film on
the Champs-Elysees in Paris have
been cancelled, while media
interviews with its stars have
been called off.

terroist have entered USA soil