Jul 20, 2012 No Comments ›› Pat Dollard
“Many of the wounded and dead were children, including one toddler who was shot at point blank range.” – Fox News’s Heather Childers
Police on the scene of the shooting rampage at the brand-new Century 16 Cinema in Aurora, Colorado
- Shooter identified as “Indian”
Developing, Fox News: At least 15 people have been killed and up to 50 injured after a mass shooting at a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” at a suburban Denver movie theater, Aurora police say.
Police have the shooting suspect in custody.
Earlier reports said there may have been a second shooter, but police believe only one shooter was involved, KDVR tells Fox News.
Witness Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he was inside Theater 16 and heard several shots.
“Like little explosions going on and shortly after that we heard people screaming,” he told the station.
Hayden said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door. But then he saw “people hunched over leaving theater.”
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — A gunman opened fire early Friday at a suburban Denver movie theater on the opening night of the latest Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing 14 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said.
The gunman, who is in custody, stood at the front of the theater and fired into the crowd about 12:30 a.m. MDT at a multiplex theater in a mall in Aurora.
“Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said at a news conference.
Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said.
Officers came running in and telling people to leave the theater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.
Officers later found the gunman near a car behind the theater.
“A gas mask, rifle, handgun at least one additional weapon (were) found inside,” he said.
The suspect was taken into custody, but no name was released. Oates said there’s no evidence of any other attackers. There was also no immediate word of any motive.
The suspect spoke of “possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat,” Oates said
Police were at the Denver-area apartment and had evacuated other residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found.
He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and at the Century 16 theater and secured those areas.
Moviegoers spoke of their terror as violence erupted and people around them fell victim.
Bejamin Fernandez, 30, told the Post that he heard a series of explosions. He said that people ran from the theater and there were gunshots as police shouted “get down!”
Frenandez said he saw people falling, including one young girl.
Jordan told the paper that one girl was struck in cheek, others in stomach including a girl who looked to be around 9-years-old.
Jordan said it sounded like firecrackers until someone ran into Theater 8 yelling “they’re shooting out here!”
Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he heard several shots.
“Like little explosions going on and shortly after that we heard people screaming,” he told the station.
Hayden said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door. But then he saw “people hunched over leaving theater.”
The police chief said 10 victims died at the theater and four at area hospitals.
At least 24 people were being treated at Denver area hospitals.
Eleven people were being treated at the Medical Center of Aurora for gunshots and ranged from minor to critical condition. Two others walked in to be treated for tear gas contamination.
Denver Health had seven victims – one in critical and the rest in fair condition.
The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken. Their condition wasn’t known.
Two people in critical condition were rushed to nearby Swedish Medical Center, spokeswoman Nicole Williams said.
Aurora is on Denver’s east side and is Colorado’s third-largest city with 327,000 residents. It is home to a large Defense Department satellite intelligence operation at Buckley Air Force Base, as well as The Children’s Hospital, the University of Colorado Hospital and a future Veterans Affairs hospital.
Developing, Fox News: Multiple people reportedly killed and several injured after a mass shooting at a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” at a Colorado movie theater.
There were two shooters, KDVR reported.
Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson says “the scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time.”
Swedish Medical Center spokeswoman Nicole Williams says two people injured at the theater have arrived at the hospital in critical condition.
She says emergency workers have said there could be several more patients.
ABC News: An overnight shooting at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colo., has left 10 people dead and at least 20 people were injured, according to authorities.
Aurora police confirm they have a suspect in custody.
(CBS/AP) AURORA, Colo. – Police say there has been a shooting at a movie theater near Denver, and a hospital spokeswoman says there may be several victims.
Aurora, Colo. police say they are responding to a shooting at a movie theater at a local mall.
Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson says “the scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time.”
There were unconfirmed reports from local media that as many as 10 people could have been killed and dozens more injured by one or two gunmen who entered the Century Aurora 16 movie theater as the premiere began. The reports could not be independently confirmed, but a CBS News crew was on the way to the scene early Friday morning.
Other reports suggested that one of two suspects was in custody after the shooting, and the second had fled in a vehicle.
Paul Otermat, who told Sky News he was in the theater when the incident occurred, said he “thought it was a publicity stunt,” when he saw a man in a long coat walk in and hurl what he believed was a tear gas canister at the crowd.
“Then he started firing shots into the crowd,” Otermat said. He says he and his girlfriend ducked to the floor and crept out as gunfire continued. “My girlfriend saw a canister on the ground that was still foaming… We ran through the lobby and we heard more shots, and we ran out into the parking lot and got into our car and left.”
Swedish Medical Center spokeswoman Nicole Williams says two people injured at the theater have arrived at the hospital in critical condition.
She says emergency workers have said there could be several more patients.
