Mandy Griffiths
Warner Bros has cancelled the Paris premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” and interviews with the cast following the tragic shooting at a screening of the film in Aurora, Colorado in which 12 people were killed and more than 50 injured.
The studio and filmmakers released a joint statement saying they 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.”
Christopher Nolan, director of “The Dark Knight Rises” said in a statement on behalf of the cast and crew:
“Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community.
I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.
The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me.
Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.”
President Obama offered the following :
“Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.”
Aurora, a Denver suburb, is about 13 miles from Littleton, Colorado, which was the site of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
Latest on the Auora shooting :
- The suspect is a 24-year-old man, believed to have been suffering from a mental illness (health professionals say BPD), who according to reports had been planning the shooting for several weeks now. While no motive has been discovered yet, suggestions range from everything as frightening as simple boredom, amusement, jealousy because someone was going to make so much money from the movie, and notoriety. It’s also believed he could have been channeling The Joker’s moves in the Batman comics; In one Dark Knight comic, the Joker kills an entire late-night television audience with gas. In the same comic, a mentally unwell loner carries out a shooting rampage in an adult cinema. In addition, the Batman Arkham Asylum game is set in an abandoned cinema. Holmes’s mother and father, seemingly aware of their son’s condition (but likely no help to him), knew immediately police had arrested “the right person”.
- 12 dead
- more than 50 injured
- Shooting occurred 20 minutes into a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” – in the scene where the Gotham Stock Exchange is taken hostage by Bane and his men
- Warner Bros will not announce box office figures for “Dark Knight Rises” until Monday out of respect for the deceased and those affected by the tragedy
- Networks have pulled all advertising for “The Dark Knight Rises”
- WB has pulled all images of ‘guns’ from the trailers and TV spots from “Dark Knight Rises”
- Warner Bros has pulled the trailer for “The Gangster Squad” from theaters
- 24-year-old James Holmes, the shooter, had dyed his hair to look like The Joker from “The Dark Knight”. He even referred to himself as ‘The Joker’. He was, however, wearing a SWAT Team suit.
Holmes emerged from an emergency exit, standing in front of the movie about 20 minutes into the film, let open a gas canister, and began shooting.- Holmes fired continuously into the crowd, except when he had to stop to reload his guns. A witness said he would shoot anyone that would try to leave.
- Holmes was a doctoral student. He had been studying neuroscience but bottomed out recently and dropped out a month ago
- Holmes was obsessed with video games, in particular ‘Guitar Hero’
- Loud music had been heard coming from Holmes’ apartment at the time of the massacre
- Holmes was in possession of an AR-15, a Remington 870 shotgun and a 40 caliber glock handgun
- Health professionals on the scene suggest Holmes could have a mental illness.
- Homes didn’t put up a fight when cops arrested him, but didn’t admit guilt either. It is believed he timed loud music to play at his apartment so he could claim innocence later, stating that he was at his apartment the whole time. AT the same time, other reports suggest his house was booby-trapped, so if the police came in they would be killed or injured. Clearly, this was a mentally unwell individual who didn’t know his left from his right
- Health professionals treated the witnesses on the scene
- The bodies of the deceased – many of whom were hunched or lying on the stairs (two teenagers were said to have been shot in the mouth according to one witness) – were left in the cinema for a short time after the event.
- A man claiming to be Jason Holmes had joined up with a sex site AdultFriendFinder.com just a few days before the shooting. He had wrote on his profile ‘Will you visit me in Prison?’
- One of the victims was aspiring sports writer Jessica Ghawi (who also went by ‘Redfield’). Jessica had been shot in the leg, as had her friend, and later, head. She had ‘twittered’ about going to see the movie – which she had had to “coerce” a friend into seeing with her. As you’ll see her last tweet was 20 minutes before the start of the movie :
Eerily, Jessica had recently escaped gunfire from an incident that happened at the Eaton center.- A Navy sailor is believed to be one of the deceased.
Our heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by this horrible, horrible tragedy.
May they rest in peace. And may Mr Holmes rot in hell.
No words at this time, just tears.
Life is too short.
