News is coming in quickly about this morning's shooting at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, where a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises had just begun when a gunman opened fire, killing 12 people and injuring as many as 50 more. According to Denver's Fox 31 the shooter has been identified as 24-year-old James Holmes of North Aurora. He remains in custody and sources say he didn't resist arrest. His only previous criminal record was a minor traffic violation last year.
The horrifying details of the shooting itself are almost too many to count at this point. Some reports say there are as many as six children being treated for injuries, one as young as six years old-- other reports say there is a three-month-old being treated. Some say children are among the dead. An eyewitness at the scene reported seeing a girl hit in the jaw. Several of the victims have been identified, though it will be a long time before there is any solid information on the extent of the injuries. Of the 12 dead, 10 were killed inside the theater and 2 died after being transported to the hospital. A lot of this news is coming fast and furious on Twitter, which means much of it could be revised or proven outright false-- this early in the story, it's hard to know much for sure, especially filtering everything from afar.
The Paris premiere of The Dark Knight Rises, which had been planned for tonight, has been cancelled, and cast members have cancelled interviews. Warner Bros., Christopher Nolan and actors have yet to make a statement (UPDATE BELOW), but you can expect one shortly. In the meantime here are the statements from President Obama and Mitt Romney about the tragedy (via THR).
President Obama: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.Mitt Romney:Ann and I are deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence that took the lives of 15 people in Colorado and injured dozens more. We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.
UPDATE #1 A Reddit user has posted a photo of his gunshot wound, if you can stomach it. Clearly, he survived the injury.
UPDATE #2 Warner Bros., via Deadline, has issued a succinct statement:
“Warner Bros. is 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.”
