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Subscribe to RSSWitnesses of Friday's deadly Colorado movie theater shootings describe what they saw.
Survivors of the Colorado movie theater shooting massacre say they initially thought the man dressed in black who entered through an emergency exit door was part of the premier of the new Batman movie.
"I thought it was a joke or part of the show," survivor Jennifer Seeger told TODAY. "He came in and threw in the gas can, and then I knew it was real."
The gunman shot and killed 12 people and wounded dozens more at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., about 20 minutes into the movie. A man identified as James Eagan Holmes has been arrested in the case.
Seeger, 22, said she was sitting in the second row of the theater, and the shooting suspect was about five feet away from her when he entered.
Another survivor, Tanner Coon, 17, said he was at the showing with a friend and the friend’s 10-year-old brother, sitting in the fourth row from the back of the theater.
“I saw a tear gas can fly over the audience,” he said. “There was a loud bang and I saw a flash, and I just thought maybe fireworks, you know, people do that kind of stuff at midnight premiers, but I heard more flashes and I instantly knew those were gunshots.”
Another survivor, Corbin Dates, said he was inside the theater when the shooting started. He described the masked gunman, saying he first thought the shooting was “a stunt” for the movie.
“I thought it was for a thrill,” he said, “but then people are really, really screaming.”
After the suspect threw the gas cans in the air, Seeger said, he fired a shot toward the ceiling. She described the ensuing 20 minutes as “pure mass chaos” as the suspect turned his guns on the audience.
“He pointed the gun right at me," Seeger said. "I got terrified. I didn’t know what to do like a deer in headlights. At that point, I dove into the aisle, and curled up into a little ball and waited for him to go away. I got lucky because he didn't shoot me."
"But then he started to shoot people behind me, and the bullets started falling on my head," she said. "It was like burning my head because it was so fresh. I could smell gun powder."
At that point, Seeger said, she tried to think of an escape route.
"I was crawling, and I told my friend, I said, 'Once he gets up there, he goes up to the stairs, we’ve got to get out of here, we’ve got to get out of here,'" she said. "So we start crawling, we start crawling and everybody’s going for the door, and then everybody starts coming back in, they’re saying, ‘No, he’s going to shoot the people trying to get out of the door, and he did.'"
A surviving victim of the shooting, Virginia Beach native Marcus Weaver, told NBC affiliate WAVY.com in Portsmouth, Va., that when shots finally stopped long enough to make a run for it, the theater became "frantic."
Marcus Weaver holds up a bloodied shirt after he was injured during the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting, Friday, July 20, 2012.
Profile of the shooting suspect
12 shot dead at 'Dark Night Rises' screening
"When I was jumping over the seats to get to the exit, there were people trampling over people who were lying on the ground," Weaver said from his hospital bed in Aurora, Colo. "It was just the most horrific scene I have ever seen."
Weaver said he suffered two gunshot wounds to his right shoulder. He was treated on the scene and taken to the hospital. He was released Friday morning.
Meanwhile, trapped inside the panicking theater, Seeger said, the gas began to take effect.
"I was coughing, my eyes were tearing up," she said. "I was just scared and my adrenaline pumped in and I tried to get out. It felt like forever.”
"They said, 'This guy's coming back, he's going to shoot you, he's going to shoot you,'" she said. "So I just ran as an instinct."
Seeger said she remembered seeing a number of children in the audience as she fled the theater, including a 6-year-old who was shot and killed on the scene.
“I was trying to escape and there was a little girl, like 12 or 14, just laying lifeless on the stairs,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. I was just completely distraught. There were dead bodies everywhere, there were people hurt everywhere, there was blood and guts everywhere.”
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Please facts, only, correct, verified.
Fact : This POS needs to be roasted alive by bonfire in the nearest public square for all to watch. Batman Costumes are optional....
Fact: All of our thoughts and prayers need to go out to the families of this tragedy.
Fact: I am sitting at my computer in tears.
Why is the suspect still alive? The police should have just blown his head off. Now, what we have to look forward to is years and years of trials, appeals, and prison time for this low-life, which is going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Because he has a right to a trial. There are more laws in this country than just the 2nd amendment.
sam,
What about those 15+ victims' right to life?
Alan--
You are arguing against the idea of having a criminal justice system at all. Let's say someone steals my car. Should we put him on trial? No, apparently. I should get to hit him in the face with 2x4. After all, my property rights were violated, correct? This was a horrible, horrible incident and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, but in this country we try people who are accused of crimes.
LevTolstoy2,
I realize all of that. You don't have to lecture me. But, in cases like this I always applaud when the killer either "offs" himself at the end, or is killed by one of his victims or by police.
He will probably plead insanity, do about ten years in a mental ward, and get released back into society as cured, while his victims' families suffer for the rest of their lives.
"But, in cases like this I always applaud when the killer either "offs" himself at the end, or is killed by one of his victims or by police."
Agreed. However, I prefer to live in a society where the police don't summarily execute a suspect who has surrendered.
"He will probably plead insanity, do about ten years in a mental ward, and get released back into society as cured, while his victims' families suffer for the rest of their lives."
This is a common perception-- that those who plead insanity are relatively quickly released back into society-- and it is completely false. When psychopaths commit mass murder and are deemed insane they don't see the outside of a secure mental hospital (which is essentially a prison anyway) for a long, long, long time, if ever.
Well, more lives were saved by the cops not blowing his head off at the scene. His apartment was booby trapped with explosives. If they had killed him on the scene, the authorities wouldn't have ever known about the explosives in his apartment that could have killed people at his apartment complex. He told the authorities about the explosives at his apartment after he was arrested. He intended to kill more than just the people at the movie theatre. He was just demonic and evil. It would have been better if he wasn't even born. He has caused a lot of heart ache and have turned those family member's, of the victims, world's upside down.
I thought it was a joke or part of the show
Perhaps this is part of the problem. Too much violence in movies. Remember that violence only brings more violence. Children do not need to be exposed to this much violence. It's bad enough to watch the news from the Middle East.
Why so much violence?
No. The Columbine monsters escaped. Too many of these do. I want him taken apart so we can learn what makes creatures like this tick.
Fact:
Guns don't kill people, they just make it a whole lot easier.
"But, in cases like this I always applaud when the killer either "offs" himself at the end, or is killed by one of his victims or by police."
I don't "applaud" anyone who takes the life of others. If the guy drops out of med school, then climbs one of the Rockies the next day and jumps off a 1000 foot cliff, that's pretty sad, but at least he didn't take anyone innocent along for the ride with him. I would applaud that decision - not that it's the best one, but at least it didn't involve killing and crippling innocent people.
Same with whacko people who murder their wife (or husband) and their kids before eating a bullet themselves. WTF? Maybe, just maybe, you can taffy-stretch reality to say the spouse did something to "deserve" it (not that anyone "deserves" that fate), but the kids? What could they have ever done?
if guns don't kill people, people kill people, does that mean toasters don't toast toast, toast toast toast?
I don't know, but I can pretty much tell you the counter argument to that. "This wouldn't have happened in Texas! Everyone in the theater would a whipped out their revolvers and blown him away."
This just increases my hatred for humans........
if guns don't kill people, people kill people, does that mean toasters don't toast toast, toast toast toast?
no pappy, the guy or(must be politically correct)... lady who operates the toaster toasts the toast...ok, got that cleared up...you may continue this disposable conversation.
Too bad this dirty POS didn't have the courage to just off himself before trying to get his 15 minutes of fame. Yes, he deserves a trial! But no, he doesn't deserve fame. The trial should be conducted behind closed doors, NO MEDIA!. His name should never be mentioned again! His execution after trial should be broadcast publicly with the title of the headlines reading "Anonymous lowlife executed for crimes against humanity!"
Does anyone else think his eyes have a look similar to that looney in Sweden who mass murdered all those kids?
Guns don't kill people, they just make it a whole lot easier.
Exactly, Analystgirl- I agree -my first reaction ...crying in front of my computer screen-crying for innocent lives lost. And Marcia4012306, definitely this guy is of DARKNESS, demonically influenced/possessed, see it in his eyes. I shudder at the evil & deranged expression. Praying for the families & loved ones of the victims. America & the Nations of the world, those straying from God-The Lord God Almighty of the Bible- we need to really think, and turn back to Him- before it's too late.“But if we walk in the LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 NKJV (from TODAY'S quote from BibleGateway.com).
Why were there even under-13 children at a PG-13 movie?!
Apparently a 6-year-old got killed. Why the hell did the theater people let these children in the movie in the first place, especially when the movie has themes that are very dark, violent, etc.?
Is "The Dark Knight Rises" appropriate for such young children? Absolutely not!
Aleithia, I absolutely agree with for opinion.
The time has come for not only stopping children from more or same as PG 13 movies, but also to take interest in children's safety; such as limiting the age of appropriate audiences for movies. Those kind of things not only do influence the children, it violates and affects them too.
If the kids had their parents with them at the movies, are you really going to decide what is better for them over their parents? This incident did not happen because of violence in movies. Countries all over the world watch violent movies, yet their violent crime rates are far lower than ours. This happened for a few reasons, the majority reason having to do with this guy's mental state, how he got there, and why no one noticed what was going on. Had someone noticed, it could have been stopped or even avoided all together. But...as proven by some comments here...the American way is treat violent people with more violent punishments. I will always carry and protect my family...but the second I teach my children to meet any conflict with violence is the second I just created another person capable of an act like this one.
PG-13 = Parental Guidance for those under 13 years of age. If parents take them then that's a parental choice. Not saying I agree...I pondered the same thought. I ache for the mom who lost her 6 yo and doesn't know yet because of her own injuries. Another life ruined (of many) by evil.
MSN et al - please stop showing this punks picture or even using his name. It brings attention to the vermin.
Some of you are at least half as brain dead as this guy is.
First off the movies rating has nothing to do with what occurred. This could have happened at ANY movie in ANY theater. G, PG, or even R. From California to New York. Get off your moral high horse.
Second, this had nothing to do with guns or the laws dealing with them. If it weren't guns it would have been bombs, knives, or something else. Not to mention he could have found guns if he really wanted to. He was deranged and his intent was to kill. There are so many way to accomplish this, some more effective than guns. A lot are even easier than guns and leave less evidence of who did it. He chose his weapon and acted on his own accord. Please save you tripe for some other time.
Just have sympathy for the families and the ones that died. That's all. Save your political and moral high ground for some other time.
i can't believe someone would do such a thing. He must be mental. Now were gonn aneed security at theaters like the airports to keep people safe. Im having second thoughts about watching anymore movies at theaters, i'll just wait on movies on DVD.
What is it about Colorado? There was Columbine, and now this. Is there something in the water out there?
Wow Alan what a dbag comment, yes it's in the water we are all nuts. We probably caused every other shooting in the US too huh?
My heart and prayers are with all my fellow Coloradans especially the victims and their families
Newsflash, Marie: You are vulnerable to being shot by a maniac every time you leave your house. I suppose we should just put a security checkpoint at every citizen's door. That shouldn't be too expensive.
Incidentally, what do you think would have happened if there was a metal detector and security guards at the front of the theater? He most likely would have shot them and then proceeded to do exactly what he did.
This is a tragedy, but that's no excuse to stop thinking rationally.
Becky, Becky, Becky,
I was being facetious. You obviously didn't figure that out. Unbelievable. Good luck.
LevTolstoy2,
Its my understanding that he entered through an exit, not the front door, so any security up front would have failed. He probably propped open the exit when the previous movie crowd was exiting. Then he went and got his stuff and entered through the exit once the movie started.
1995, Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Wendell Williamson walked down the main drag (Franklin Street) shooting people. Shootings occur in workplaces, shopping malls, McDonald's, while you're at the gas station filling up your tank - you can't protect against it all. Metal detectors wouldn't have helped when the Beltway sniper was active. You just have to continue living your life.
It will be interesting to hear from his relatives and friends as to how troubled of a man he was. There surely were signs that this individual had mental problems or was troubled. Most of us ignore the signs of mental health problems and the individual having the problems usually does not see the signs. We all need to be more aware of the people around us in our day to day lives and try to direct the person to needed help. Unfortunately, most of these individuals do not have any type of mental health coverage available and cannot receive it from the government until they commit some type of crime. Mental health issues will continue to grow and be a problem in the future.
We should all pray that no one else dies from this hideous crime....
It is nothing specific to Colorado.
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/rachel-maddow-arizona-shooting_n_807212.html
82 people.
More info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States
That's 34 people per day who were killed by someone else. Per day. Of course, I am sure that many of them are people shooting each other, not massacres of uninvolved innocents. But it's very unlikely that all of the 34 people every day are shooting back, too.
The numbers don't all add up completely because they were taken from different years. But the magnitude of the problem is stunning.
And please don't say "if only there were more guns we would have less killings." That's just sickening.
Most of us ignore the signs of mental health problems and the individual having the problems usually does not see the signs
I agree with this statement. Also, if it turns out that he was mentally ill, and his parents never took him to seek help, the parents may be just as guilty. Apparently the mother was aware of something, because she said "yes, that is your man" When the police caught her son.
Byron, any statistics regarding how many are killed by cars? How about boating accidents?
Maybe we should outlaw everything.
Just think if that guy would have gone to the theater with the explosives instead of guns. This guy was going to reek havoc no matter what and he had the time to plan it, so no, guns did not cause this.
Bringing up mental health, it is a sad shame so many states have cut finding for services have. In fact, over $2 billion have been cut in the past 3 years. Limiting access to services means we have more time-bombs like this one roaming around- even right next door to us. Just because 'services' are more available doesn't mean everyone will get treatment but it can limit the number of incidents like these from occurring- we just don't count the things that don't happen then wonder why, oh why when they do.
Actually, Alan, someone reported that someone left the theater shortly before the shooting began, holding a cell phone to his ear. The suspect may have purchased a movie ticket and been inside the theater, possibly scoping it out a bit, then left, propping the door open (maybe by quickly slapping a piece of duct tape over the latch), went to his car to gear up, and returned.
Of course, it's still all just speculation. Had I been in the theater, I'd have thought nothing at someone leaving early - figure they were probably stepping out into the alleyway for a quick smoke of something illegal.
alan290
"What is it about Colorado? There was Columbine, and now this. Is there something in the water out there?"
You know alan290 the thoughts and feelings that go through my mind and body is indescribable when someone posts a STUPID comment like yours!
I live in Colorado and I also happen to work at Buckley AFB! I got a phone call this morning at 4AM asking if I was ok! I did not know what was going on until I got to work at 8:30AM. When I got to work I found out that one of my co-workers was at that theater when this incident happened. He is in the Air Force; he was not at work when I got there, WAS HE OK?
I bet YOU live nowhere NEAR HERE so you do not know what we are going through! Why does it always have to be, 'guns don't kill people,' or 'that guy must be mental,' or 'the cops should've killed him' ... and so on and so forth! Can't you just give your condolences and go on about your business for the rest of the day? APPARENTLY NOT!
Alan290, it’s NOT in the water because they used ALL that up on the fires we had here! Maybe it is in the COFFEE! Oh wait, not EVERYONE drinks coffee! Get a life bud and a job; ALSO learn how to use the search engines on the computer because apparently you have nothing better to do than to criticize everyone around you!
People growing up in a world where personal responsibility is an offensive concept? Children that never get spanked because it might damage their self-image? Liberals bathing/swimming in the water reservoirs? Sadly it isn't just Colorado. It's the coming of age of the "ME" generation. The "I'm not getting my FAIR share" mentality. Some body was pissed because they had 200,000 in student loans (half of which was spent buying video games) and didn't have the whole world knocking on his door offering him a job.
States cannot run deficits in their budgets, so any funding HAS to actually be paid for that year. You're calling for an increase in State spending without proposing a solution. So, what are you willing to give up to pay for increased funding for those programs?
And what evidence do you have that simply increasing availability of services is an answer? How many of the people you call "time bombs" seek or want help and get denied--or get help for a while and then later refuse it (go off their meds, etc.)?
Fact: Shootings happen in every state. "Random" Tragic yes. Colorado is a pretty laid back state. Not even sure what their gun laws are. As to those saying "if"... add "if only" "but".
Fact is, even someone carrying a concealed weapon - with a permit of course - most logically, would not have brought their weapon into the theater. I don't know about Colorado but I've had to go back and put my weapon in a locked vehicle because I DO abide by law... and MY movie theater states "no weapons".
Total chaos has been used over and over. This was not a scene where someone or people could band together to take him down!
@Jim: What evidence do you have that reducing spending for mental health will be of any value for our society? It doesn't. We have veterans returning from Afghanistan with PTSD who can't get help because the funding has been cut & services aren't available. True, this whacko who shot up the theater may not have received help under any circumstances, but my point is that in general if the public has better access to services and treatment it translates into the greater good. It's not perfect, but show me evidence that it will hurt anything. Better, tell that to a veteran who's having flashbacks and and can't get into a psychologist for help. What do you propose- ignore it?
toast? What's in the water? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?? The world may never know. Are you serious people with the comments?
I didn't say anything about cutting spending on those programs in my post, I asked you how you proposed to pay for the increase in spending that you said you wanted. Your response doesn't even begin to address the question, it just goes off on a tangent. Fail.
this guy must have mental problems. I am having second thoughts on going to any theater now.
Marie,
You just can't live your life in fear like that. This could have happened ANYWHERE. Think about it.
But, you can bet that home theater sales are going to skyrocket.
Alan, if she doesn't live in fear how is her political party going to control her?
Marie: The movie premiered at THOUSANDS of theaters last night. The biggest "crime" outside this one was probably a few college kids smoking a joint in the alleyway before the movie started.
It's like refusing to fly in a plane because out of hundreds of thousands of scheduled flights each year, one or two will crash.
I'm not sure how much safer it is to buy home theater systems... a man in Tulsa recently died shopping there...
Fate works in strange ways.
Uh, yeah it does. What does that have to do with this horrendous crime?
I don't know maybe he said that because people always say god has a plan. Nothing happens that's not in his plan. That statement could only include this tragedy.
Then again, who cares. Just have some sympathy for what happened and carry on.
Was he trying to ignite the gasoline?
Wrong kind of Gas.
i think ill wait for batman to come out on dvd...
So the French closed the world premier?
No, please read the article again. Warner Bros shut down any of the showings over there.
In light of the tragedy - I'm sure they felt it was the right thing to do.
Why did he have access to the exit door?
Did he go out then come back in?
Was he hiding before the movie?
Did he exit the exit door get the guns and come back in?
Most exit doors have alarms.
The LAWYERS WILL BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THIS?
GREAT NEWS!!!! I HEARD COLORADO HAS THE DEATH PENALTY
My thoughts exactly. Every theater I've been in has alarms on the exit doors. How did he go out the exit as stated then "possibly" prop it open (no one thought that was odd?).
Not to mention, I understand costumes. I was going to wear on before this happened but no one thought full on SWAT gear was excessive? Who's favorite character in the Dark Knight series is 'SWAT guy 1'?
I've never been to a midnight showing where people threw CS canisters or lit off fireworks. How could anyone think this initially was just somebody "messing around"?
There are quite a few things here that don't add up, not in the least. What happened is tragic but there are some very important details that need to be worked out before we can even begin to know the full scope of what happened and why.
If he came in through the exit door, how did he get it open from the outside? There is going to be a lot of questions this theater and their lawyers will not want to answer.
From what I gather, people think he pretended to make a phone call at the emergency exit, or had an accomplice do it and then re-entered from it. My question is, why didn't an alarm sound when the door opened? but i suppose that's not always a requirement for emergency exits. The guy killed little kids. That is the part that is freaking me out.
The main theory is he bought a ticket to the movie. He exited the theater and propped the door open, so he could return with all his weapons.
Exit doors are not alarmed in theaters because every time someone left early, it would set off the alarm and ruin the movie experience for everyone in the cinema complex.
In the days of my youth, we used to sneak out the back to smoke a joint during the previews, criminals that we were. Speaking of which, why is it I can buy an assault weapon totally legally, but I can't grow a pot plant in my apartment without risking a felony bust for "distribution", even if I'm growing it for my own personal use? I always wonder about that when a case like this comes up.
Spartan
Move to Ca. You can grow your weed for medicinal purposes and there is a so called "Assault Weapons" ban.
You have to understand that this all just happened and not a lot is known yet! I'm quite sure more will come out. (at least I HOPE more will)
Honestly, my heart breaks for everyone involved... even the parents. This idiot has only had a parking ticket. (in response to a previous post) The fact that his mom knew with certainty... is sad. My heart goes out to her too. I don't think he was a 'monster'. His history would have had more issues than a parking ticket!!!
Sad, very sad. The world we live in - where we can't go anywhere without feeling insecure. State all the stats you want on guns - this guy would have just found a different way. He had bombs - "sophisticated" according to what has been released. Do you really think his guns, obtained illegally would have stopped him? Doubtful - a bomb or bombs are much more likely to be deadly.
I posted a blog about this earlier on my site; love2liveway.com. I think we are in a catch 22. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. If you do some research you find that every single one of the killer kids that were involved in all these killings in schools around the USA have all been drugged by the school system. If your boys are too active they are required to take some kind of Psychotropic drug that will calm them down so they will not be too great a disturbance to the school system. All these drugs tend to suppress these boys angers and other emotions and then at some point they break! This is caused by the drug companies and the government that supports them and the situation explodes and people don't realize the cause and effect.
Just another example is the old man who called in to the police that there was a burglar at his place and the police said they were to busy to respond. So he hung up and called again and this time said he shot the person who was trying to steal from him. They were there in 3 minutes. People, you need to wake up and really search your surroundings for the truth and not just ride some emotional roller coaster and jump all over one another.
he paid for a ticket went into the theatre, then went out the exit door with a cell phone to his ear i guess he propped it open cause thats how he re-entered the theatre with his arsenal,at least thats what i read in the report.
I am glad they took him alive.
Maybe doctors can identify his mental state and hopefully help avoid a repeat of this in the future.
Am i asking too much?
Most likely.
OK put him to death after the interview.
imrightnotyou,
Well, you are not right this time, Skippy.
You are on in a million. Most probably feel he should have been shot and killed on the spot. Screw having some doctor evaluate his mental state. I can do it right now. He is a sociopath that has no moral compass and his parents are probably partially to blame.
Now this is going to cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to try in court, then there will be appeals and delays, then probably life in prison. I don't know if Colorado has the death penalty.
" I don't know if Colorado has the death penalty."
Gee, I wish there was some simple and easy way to find information like that... some kind of, oh, I don't know... search engine...
Yes, Colorado has the death penalty. And I would also imagine that many, if not most, citizens have a problem with the idea of summary executions.
Sorry, but I did not want to do a search. I decided to just wait for some nice person (NOT) like you, to tell me. So, thanks for answering in your typically smart-assed way. No wonder people are killing each other.
Because of my smart-ass internet comments? That's a stretch, wouldn't you say?
Hey, I gotta good tip on a stock.
" Screw having some doctor evaluate his mental state. I can do it right now. He is a sociopath that has no moral compass..."
Pot, meet kettle. No, it is not worth it to discard 200 years of our justice system so you can feel the momentary ego boost of posting how tough and better-than-that-guy you are.
"Screw having some doctor evaluate his mental state. I can do it right now. He is a sociopath that has no moral compass..."
Pot, meet kettle. No, it is not worth it to discard 200 years of our justice system so you can feel the momentary ego boost of posting how tough and better-than-that-guy you are.
NICE one NICe...........
Maybe he's upset because batman gets killed in the movie. them comic dudes get all attached to their men in tights. I could be wrong.
I don't want to be the one but, spoiler alert: you obviously haven't seen the movie...
Truly tragic! My sincere sympathy to those who are experiencing the loss of loves one's from what seems to be an act of a mentally unstable person. It is another contribution by the NRA to their strong stance and position on proliferating guns in America, through their irrational belief and thinking that guns don't kill people, people do.
I would have killed him dead on the spot with my Glock 9MM with 15 ready shots. Too bad the concealed permit process timeframe is bogged down by the anti-gun liberals. If someone had a gun many would have been saved. Nice try Walt, the treehuggers could use your donation money......
Looks like the NRA had it only partially right.
"Guns don't Kill people",
but it does look like
"Republican Gun-Nuts, with Guns, do Kill people".
Seven2Seven: You say that from the safety of a keyboard. He was wearing body armor. Chances are in the chaos of the gas and shooting, you could have hurt more people by starting a shootout with him. Saying adding another gun automatically would save lives is asinine.
Couldn't agree more Monkeynucleosis!
those Republican card-carrying "Gun-Nuts" are the Problem,
Not the solution.
The NRA is just a front for the Gun-Lobby.
Kind of like the "Military-Industrial-Corporative-Machine" and Bain Capital,
that former president Dwight Eisenhower warned us about.
just saying.
My condolences to the families.
I agree with you Seven2Seven. With a guy like you in the theater he wouldn't have been able to shoot 12 people before getting shot himself. Some people are so afraid of guns they'd rather get killed by a nutjob like this guy then let honest citizens who carry guns help them.
Here's a great one for you, and the others who think guns are bad: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/surveillance-vid-shows-71-year-old-concealed-carry-holder-opening-fire-on-would-be-robbers/
And Monkeynucleosis a few bullets anywhere on his body, despite the body armor, would have stopped him.
With anti-guns laws only criminals will have gun.
It's thinking like yours more guns will save people, really? Do you know how many guns are out there in the USA? There are approximately 200 million guns that are owned privately in the USA. It hasn't helped your argument, in fact it makes it worse.
That's pure speculation.
Another scenario might be everyone in the theater that was carrying would start emptying their weapons too. And they might even shoot your @ss out of panic. I am thankful we still live in a country where we don't allow guns into many public places. I will bet you a thousand dollars this guy legally owned his weapons and that he is as mentally ill as you can get. The process for gun ownership needs to be much more stringent, not less.
Maybe your side wins in November and we get to see just how truly awful an American Far Right government would be. It is a lesson many Americans apparently need to learn. Although it would not be pretty. I know because you nutbags already control my state.
voxrationis. This guy wanted to shoot people, and he would have owned a gun, legally or not. Anti-gun laws never stopped criminals from acquiring guns, all it does is make honest citizens more vulnerable.
And your scenario is also pure speculation, in fact its sounds like its right out of a western movie, not very realistic.
Here is an actual event that took place in a state where people are allowed to carry concealed weapons http://www.theblaze.com/stories/surveillance-vid-shows-71-year-old-concealed-carry-holder-opening-fire-on-would-be-robbers/
Anna, with all due respect.
"blah, blah, blah, blah, blah"
We need you so-called "legal-gun-carriers" to have to carry papers,
just like tuberculosis patients of old,
had to carry papers to show they were "carriers".
Guns for you NRA types are just another drug.
"You cling to them", I believe is the saying.
You Republican "Gun-Nuts" shoot our Women-folk, you shoot us in our Churches,
and now your shooting us in our Movie-theaters.
Are you really that upset that there's a Black-Man
now living in your once sacred White-House?
@monkeybrain, I say this as the truth, someone firing back at this coward who instantly surrender when the police drew on him would have stopped with the pain of any bullet hitting the armor. This would have shut him down very quickly. Do you think it just bounce off body armor like in a cartoon??? You can also get lucky with a neck/head shot and game over. Plus, most who carry are not using the police issued ammo if you know what I mean but you have no clue.
Sitting there while he blew away one after another is assinine if you had a chance to stop it.........
Seriously RepublicansforObama ... what do you smoke? And for your information, in most states you do need a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
You shoudn't fear guns, you should fear criminals who own guns, and anti-gun laws will not stop criminals from owning guns. This 70 year old woman for example, an honest citizen, would have been a victim but thankfully she owned a gun: http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/37073429.html
So what happens when the guns are all gone? If people are using tree branches to kill each other should we cut down all of the trees? what if they use baseball bats? our founding Fathers had it right... I am not a Bible Thumping Republican BTW... or a liberal/over-reacting/overly sensitive apple toting hipster... I am just an american... and don't have a political agenda or check list to validate myself as a right or left winged fundamentalist... stop making this about your political affiliation and let the victims heal from this first before you put a political spin on it!
Yes Walt..... The guns walked in there themselves and started shooting people. That's idiotic. And why are you people saying Republicans shoot people? That's just stupid. It is illegal to kill people, yet criminals still do that... so if owning a gun is illegal murderers will just throw in the towel? Clearly this creep was not a law-abiding citizen, he is a psychotic murderer with no regard for ANY law.
Look at a world without guns before guns where made was it a utopia of goodness. Think of the Vikings the Mongols and so many others the facts tell the truth even if only the police had guns how fast can they get there 5 mins 10 mins or in Detroits case 9 hours the physically strong would rule over the weak the young the old the women no offence and any one sick or not as strong as the bad group or one person that attacks them guns make the strong stronger but guns make the weak just as strong
God made men but Guns make them equal
The gun oppenents on this vine just proved themselves wrong. They claim that EVERYone has guns and use them inappropriately. What happened in this case?? One shooter loaded to the gills. A packed movie theater and not ONE person had a gun to fire back.
So much for your fear of all people carrying guns. The only one who had one was the murderer. You lose and so did many who lost their life. I wish the families sincere condolences and that they may find some peace.
Anna keeps posting silly self defense stories from the NRA but they never ever mention that accidental shootings alone always outnumber self defense uses of firearms. That is not "speculation", thank you!
You cannot ban guns in a nation where some 400 million probably exist. And nevermind that almost all of those on the criminal side were once legally purchased. But you can make it harder for those with mental conditions to obtain firearms and also people on psychotropic medications. My friends have a neighbor who takes wicked RX drugs and randomly fires off his Glock in his backyard. But that's considered "normal" in these parts.
Nothing the NRA advocates is rational. It is all about overkill. The Founders were 60 years from the Gatling Gun and about 50 years from the revolver. They had no idea what was coming. All they knew was a single shot musket that took real time to load. What would they think of a Glock with a huge clip or an AR-15? Of course we will never know. Surely they would have loved the military aspects but with Tories still in the midst what would they have really thought of public ownership?
Barf, voxpurlehaze, go to Europe and join the socialists? No, your stuck in a holler I expect. Public gun ownership won the country from the British. Most semi-automatic handguns can be reloaded in seconds with a dropped clip and have been around since WWII. Your Glock clip theory is absurd.
Please, you know zero about guns but you can go outside and hear your neighbor play the banjoe if you run along.
voxrationis
If the people in my "silly" self-defense stories were your loved ones you wouldn't think the stories are so "silly". And contrary to your statement the stories are not "from" the NRA, they are real incidents that happened to real people. Did you happen to check the statistics for car accidents? If not, I suggest you do. Personally I do not wish to be deprived of my right to self-defense because there is some idiots who don't know how to handle a gun safely, just as I do not wish to be deprived of my right to drive my car because some idiots don't know how to drive safely. Education and accountability are the key words in both cases.
If your neighbor is on drugs and "randomly fires off his Glock in his backyard" and you truly believe he is dangerous, posting on these boards won't help, I suggest you explain the situation to your local police department and let them decide if they should take his guns away. By the way it is illegal in my area to "play" with a firearm in your backyard, so I suggest you check the laws in your area about this. If I had a neighbor like yours I would be worried too, take action Sir. If you see a person driving dangerously you would probably tell the police, same applies to someone who is using his guns dangerously.
Well, actually, no, they also knew rifles, most importantly the Kentucky rifle that gave the Colonial troops a huge advantage at the Battle of Saratoga. And what are dueling pistols if not *handguns*? One of our *Founding Fathers* (Alexander Hamilton) was killed in a duel w/ Thomas Jefferson's V-POTUS (Aaron Burr).
Guns were invented in the 16th century. They were far from new even at the framing of the US Constitution.
The issue lies in modern 2nd Amendment interpretation. *Well-regulated militia* applied in the 1780s b/c the US could not afford to maintain a standing army, so the govt relied upon being able to call up volunteers for nat'l defense. That no longer applies....unless the govt is now willing to dismantle the behemoth we call the Pentagon that sucks the budget so dry there's no $ left for anything else.
You don't know that.
That audience contained 4 military men & one of them died. It doesn't matter how well-trained you *think* you are in a situation like that. Very few ppl, carrying or not, have the cojones to coolly rise up & take aim at a moving target, exposing themselves as an EZ target. W/ bullets being randomly sprayed, self-preservation is the instinct that kicks in, not being the hero who saves the day.
And as someone mentioned above, the more shooters in that confined space full of ppl running & screaming, w/ poor visibility due to the release of tear gas, the more the *friendly fire* casualties would rise. Unless one guy got very, very lucky real fast.
Seven2Seven:
While I appreciate your attempt at an insult, you still didn't explain to me how this would worked in a room full of tear-gas. Also, if they guy is as crazy as he appears, you have no guarantee of what he would when shot at. He also had superior firepower to anything you would have brought in so if you miss or don't make a shot that alarms him; you've made yourself and everyone around you into priority targets.
Also I love the fact you had to insult my intelligence several times rather than truly back up any statement. and for your information, bullets bounce off Superman and othert such people in the cartoons and that's about it
scar_tissue
This isn't meant to lessen the memory or the military personnel that died however, they were not soldiers. They were airmen and sailors. They are not 'well trained' for these situations as you say. They are barely even trained how to properly fire a weapon on the same level a soldier is. Their training is far from what the US Army and the Marines training is so please don't confuse all military personnel and soldiers. There's a difference.
It's like saying everyone in a hospital is a doctor or even remotely capable of saving a life in critical condition. They reacted the way they did because of their training. I wasn't there, I don't know the layout or the way everything went down so I can't say for sure that even a combat veteran soldier would have survived or reacted any different (ie. hit the ground and low crawl). However, don't lump everyone in the military into the same general statement. It's disrespectful to the multitude of friends and brothers I've had to see buried. I will not have you belittle the memory and training of my fellow soldiers.
In the wake of this tragedy, some are suggesting that they'll no longer go to movie theaters. Rather than give in to fear, however, I think I'll make a point of going to see The Dark Knight Rises tonight.
Correct. Too many people are scared of the unknown. I bought tickets in advance for tonight and I cannot wait to go.
My condolences go out to the families that lost a loved one.
Unit3D- THANK you! These people are allowing the gunman to control them. It's ridiculous. You have an incredibly higher chance of dying while driving to the theater.
An excellent point. Hopefully you don't work for Warner Brothers. =P
What a scary event, going to watch a movie premiere and this is what happens. My heart goes out to the families and friends of the deceased and the ones who will be psychologically ill for the rest of their lives. This is one of those things that will be hard to recover from.
That's just horrible! What could drive people to do such things so mercilessly?! From what the survivors are saying it must have been pretty gruesome to watch. Ugh, I hope all the victims families are okay... My heart goes out to them...
I was going to see the movie tomarrow in IMAX... Now I just don't feel like it...
But I am curious. James Holmes? Like the serial killer H. H. Holmes? Is he just mentally unstable or did he have a reason behind it?
I am not adding wild ideas to this mad man's action but the discussion of this movie has been in the news lately. The discussion surrounded the name Bane. Rush Limbausch made the outrageous statement that the character name Bane in the movie was a reference to Bain Capital. The same company that used to be owned by Romney. Rush suggestions were that the script writers and producers of the movie named the bad character Bane after Mitt's company Bain Capital.
I do not know if this idiot listened to Rush or not but I do not that those people who have a wide audience of listeners need to show responsibility when talking over our air waves. The majority of us know that Rush, Glenn Beck and company make outrageous statements over the radio and tv because they get paid to do so.
Rush merely said that he could foresee others making the comparison. Oh, guess what:
"Limbaugh isn't the only one to link the tale of the caped crusader to a trouble spot for the Romney campaign.
Former Clinton aide Chris Lehane told the Washington Examiner that he thinks the "Dark Knight Rises" bears similarities to this year's presidential campaign."
Read more: #ixzz21AymTM2z
I accidently posted twice. sorry. New user and it wasn't clear if my original comment was posted as I was redirected to registration after I tried to post.
/facepalm
Let's quit speculating about whether politics played a part in this guy's craziness, please? Chances are he shot up republicans and democrats alike. Are we really at such a polarized state that EVERYTHING must be put in some sort of stupid political context? Speculating about his motivation with your own paranoid, wild accusations serves no purpose but to inflame.
The fact that this film's been in production since 2008 (based on a villain from 90s comic books) doesn't seem to register w/ ppl who desire to make it real-time political.
B/c Romney is the center of the universe now, so it all revolves around him [rolls eyes].
Time and time again, these incidents show that when a shooter is attacking, all the guns in the world don't save people or stop the shooter. People panic, run away, save themselves, they never have the time to reflect and say, I know I have a gun, I am going to stand up and use it against this guy. With almost 50% of people in America carrying guns, I have never heard about a mass shooting stopped by a civilian by-stander. It is always the police who do it (or a suicide).
And even in the cases where by-standers do stop them, they usually tackle them, not shoot them. Not to mention this guy was wearing armor.
That's because most the time mass shootings happen where people are not allowed to carry guns. It happened many times at schools for example. There is also the fact that people don't want to get arrested and charged for murder if they do kill the shooter. I remember reading an article about a man who held a man who broke into his house at gunpoint, and he was arrested and charged for that, this was in Canada tho, but it just goes to show what happens with anti-guns laws, the victim ends up being victimized twice.
But it does and did happen (i.e. honest citizen gunning down shooter), you just don't hear about it because the medias choose not to talk about it for some reason. You would have to do your own research and read dispatch logs from different police departments, you will find some. You can also read about some of them on a few websites, here for example
http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/24657-armed-citizen-stops-mass-shooting-winnemucca-nevada.html
50% of Americas don't carry guns. A precise number is hard to come by, but somewhere around 30% of Americans OWN guns. Far fewer than that carry a handgun at any given time.
If are quick to brag about the fact you carry a gun, I believe you to be unstable. If you are quick to brag about how you won’t hesitate to use it, I believe you to be unstable. If you find yourself often fanaticizing about putting yourself in scenarios that you and your gun has “saved the day”, it is my belief you are unstable.
There are people that can grab a gun like a can of soda and it’s no big deal. Then there are people that can pick up a gun and you can see the wave of empowerment come over them. They look at the weapon with a passion in their eyes like it’s a potential lover.
The people that carry a gun and you wouldn’t know it until it came time to use it, you I trust. You I consider a responsible gun owner.
Unstable or not, you @!$%#ing cares if you can end one life and save 15
@arkbound.....coming from a family with a long history of law enforcement, I know a lot of people that carry a gun. All of us hear about nuts publically killing people. What I've never heard of is an armed citizen taking out a gunmen to save the lives of others. Why do you think that is?
I think it's because in the real world (not in the unstable mind), you are not trained to handle scenerios such as this. Chances are, gun or no gun, you would be running for your life like everyone else. It's a lot different shooting at someone that shoots back.
OOPS! You spoke too soon. There was just a video released yesterday of a 72 yr. old man in a coffee shop that took out his gun and shot 2 guys with guns robbing the place. He shot both (not sure if they died) and he was not charged. i just saw it on tv yesterday. so YES, this DOES happen.
How about this, how about we ACTUALLY PUNISH PEOPLE!!! Every tree hugging liberal needs to take a back seat and not complain how "mean" it is when you put a pos like this to death. Start executing people.
Ever wonder why a lot of those crazy third world countries have next to no domestic violence (outside of dictators mass murdering people)? Because when you get caught stealing you lose a hand, you rape you lose the junk, you kill you get entered into the weekly firing squad.
If people actually had to worry about being punished they might, just might think twice. But they don't because you can get away with anything these days so people just do it without thinking twice. Obviously the seriously messed up losers will do what they are going to do but of course you can't stop everyone.
That being said, if people saw people being put to death or losing hands and whatever else they might take things a little more seriously. Make an example of people like this, don't put him through court to then sit on death row for the next 30 years while we all pay for it.
"Ever wonder why a lot of those crazy third world countries have next to no domestic violence (outside of dictators mass murdering people)?"
I've never wondered why this might be so due to the simple fact that it is a complete fabrication. You are confusing an (inaccurate) perception with reality.
"If people actually had to worry about being punished they might, just might think twice. But they don't because you can get away with anything these days so people just do it without thinking twice."
Is it your impression that those who shoot multiple people frequently suffer no consequences?
"Obviously the seriously messed up losers will do what they are going to do but of course you can't stop everyone."
Oh, so this would in no sense prevent a tragedy like the one in Colorado. Thanks!
You are nuts. In those third world countries, you rape, the victim loses her life. Domestic violence is called an honor killing there. Is this the only news articles you've read this decade?
Let's not make this political on either side. The guy is a nut. Just too bad he could get his hands on weapons and ammunition.
The "second" part of the tragedy is the killer did not attempt to escape or resist the police or they would have blown him away, all over the parking lot. Of course, all the bleeding heart liberals would come out of the woodwork with their mental illness propaganda.
Sorry, I'm unfamiliar with "mental illness propaganda." Does that refer to the idea that some people are severely disturbed? Do conservatives not believe in the existence of crazy people?
Lev, don't be obtuse! I don't think gun owners have a political party - even if they do, they aren't active. No party advocates violence or "blowing people away".
FYI - to anyone saying they would have "taken out" the shooter. I know you 'think' you would but when there's mass panic - you don't know what you would do. First instinct is to save your own life, those with you. ~maybe~ and I'm saying maybe you would think about it... you wouldn't realize he was wearing body armor. Speculation! A head shot is hard unless you're a trained marksman (or well practiced). Hand guns from a distance are not overly accurate. Basically, IF he had seen that, you painted a bulls head on you!
npeck - 3rd world countries have MAJOR domestic violence. Iraq, I ran... it's just accepted there as part of the culture. It's NOT a crime!
Absolutely horrible. This guy must have some screws loose :(
Our thoughts are with you Colorado. What a horrendous tragedy.
My heart hurts for you today.
They can't even get kids to go to any kind of school at midnight??
Who is trying to get kids to go to school at midnight?
My heart goes out to everyone affected by this senseless violence. I am left wondering why a 6 yr old & other younger kids were up at midnight? This is a totally inappropriate movie for a young kid not to mention the late hour.
its a batman movie and kids love batman, it was a premiere so of course they would be there late.
awallrising All I see is: "Look at me, I have such high morals. They are much better than yours are. I don't think before I speak, why? Because my moral high ground is on top of Mt. Everest."
I am surprised NBC News did not blame Guns, Limbaugh, and the Tea Party like ABC News did. Piers Morgan is already paying by his low ratings.
Another Psychopath, they are becoming prevalent in our society. Maybe they are the cause of the worlds woe's. We turn to our politicians for answers when in fact they could also be there. They come in all shapes and sizes of both genders and are quite charming aping our conciousness and are very hard to detect. We should all step back from our TV's, computers, our jobs, our isolations, and become a society again. Start interacting on a personal level. Psychopaths are incurable.
Unfortunately, it will take years to get this turd to trial and then some sleaze lawyer will volunteer to defend him and make it sound like it was society's fault...will help the lawyer write his book.
Simple - when a dog goes rabid, you don't try to cure him, you just put him down. Should be the same here.
I agree. We need laws to be changed or this stuff will only keep increasing, cause everyone knows youll only get a slap on the wrist and like you said prolly a friggen book deal. When someone literally has the smoking gun still in their hand, when caught, the only trial they should get is a fitting for a pine box.
Im a sympathetic person but in these types of cases ya gotta play hardball ya cant rehab someone like this and quite frankly i dont wanna pay for his "hotel stay" in prison. However, I will gladly pay for his dose of Sodium Thiopental.
Also id like to add that any fool who says" This is a America and he has the right to a trial blah blah blah. Sorry, not in this case or any other like this.He gave his rights away when he murdered these people. Why dont you go say that when they are chunking dirt on the casket of the deceased.
Yeah, get rid of trials! It shouldn't be too difficult to define the instances in which "we know already" that the guy is guilty. That shouldn't cause any problem at all.
And anyone who would refer to prison as a hotel has never been in a prison.