This is too sad to comment much more than my condolences to those people.

Suge posted:

What gets me is that there doesn't seem to be any kind of motive. What was the gunmen hoping to achieve by this? Was he taking some kind of invisible stand for something? Did he have something to prove? It's bullshit, and occurred in the last place you'd expect to find such a tragedy. People going to the movies for entertainment and they are shot at? That is horrible. I hope that bastard gets what he deserves.

Life in an insane asylum.

Maybe he thought this would fast track him to become a Batman villian.

I can't wait for the NRA to do their "spin" on this event!!!!

Gotta love 'Mericans and our guns....... The world is a much safer place when everyone has a gun! It's a proven fact!

cute_annie posted:

^That+blaiming a movie and fictional characters for what happened...

This will be politicized, that's for sure.

That said, Colorado has loose gun laws and something should be done about that. The theater is 20 miles from Columbine, FYI.

Aurora 'Dark Knight' Suspect James Holmes Said He 'Was the Joker': Cops

By RICHARD ESPOSITO, JACK DATE, PIERRE THOMAS (@PierreTABC) and LEE FERRAN
July 20, 2012

The man in custody for allegedly killing 12 people at the screening of the latest Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado told authorities after the shooting that he "was The Joker," NYPD police commissioner Ray Kelly said today.

Kelly told reporters the suspect, identified by federal officials as 24-year-old James Holmes, had dyed his hair like The Joker. The Joker is a well-known villain in the fictional Batman universe. The attack took place at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," the final movie in a Batman trilogy, following "The Dark Knight" in which The Joker was the principal villain.

Two federal law enforcement officials confirmed the details of The Joker costume to ABC News. Police said the weapons used in the massacre include a military-style AR-15 assault rifle with a high-capacity drum-style clip, a shotgun and two handguns. The guns were purchased legally over the last several months, according to law enforcement officials.

READ: Colorado Batman Movie Shooting Suspect Was PhD Student

"It's another tragic event from an obviously deranged individual," Aurora City Councilman Bob LeGare told ABC News. "I don't know what more can be said."

Witnesses Describe Deadly Rampage

Witnesses to the shooting said that a man appeared at the front of the theater about 20 minutes into the movie with a rifle, handgun and gas mask. He then threw a canister that released some kind of gas, after which a hissing sound ensued, and he then opened fire on the crowd packed into the early-morning screening of the film. Wintesses said that during the shooting the man appeared to be dressed in all black and police later said he was wearing several pieces bullet-proof armor and a gas mask.
Colorado Movie Shooting: New York City Steps Up Security Watch Video
Colorado 'Dark Knight' Shooting Witness: I Saw A Guy Right Next To Me Getting Shot Watch Video
Colorado 'Dark Knight Rises' Shooting Witness: Suspect Pointed 'His Gun in My Face' Watch Video

"We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes into the movie and all you hear, first you smell smoke, everybody thought it was fireworks or something like that, and then you just see people dropping and the gunshots are constant," witness Christ Jones told ABC's Denver affiliate KMGH. "I heard at least 20 to 30 rounds within that minute or two."

A man who talked to a couple who was inside the theater told ABC News, "They got up and they started to run through the emergency exit, and that when she turned around, she said all she saw was the guy slowly making his way up the stairs and just firing at people, just picking random people."

"The gunshot continued to go on and on and then after we didn't hear anything," the couple told the man. "We finally got up and there was people bleeding, there was people obviously may have been actually dead or anything, and we just ran up out of there, there was chaos everywhere."

Radio communication between police and emergency responders released by authorities describe a desperate situation for those first on the scene.

"Get us some damn gas masks. We can't get in," one officer says after confronting the heavy smoke in the theater.

"I've got a child victim," said another who was waiting outside for help.

After waiting on ambulances for a few minutes, police began taking victims to the hospital in their own patrol cars.

"I've got a whole bunch of people shot in here and no rescue," one of the officers said.

When it was over, 12 people were dead and another 59 were wounded.

Acquaintance: Holmes Unalarming, 'Kind of Geeky'

Jackie Mitchell, who lives a block from Holmes' apartment in Aurora, said he had several beers with Holmes just days before the shooting and Holmes did not show any angry or anti-social tendencies.

"He seemed kind of geeky," Mitchell said. "We just talked about football… that kind of thing."

When he saw today's news reports, Mitchell said, "I don't have any hair and my hair stood up when I saw the dude's picture."

The FBI said approximately 100 of its agents are on the scene assisting with the ongoing investigation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2012 03:40PM by RhettButler.

Merica!

Terrible thing. Deranged people have access to guns????
And people who need them for protection can't get a permit to carry.???
It doesn't surprise me that all the nut jobs have dangerous weapons and law abiding citizens are defenseless.
Also I heard that someone brought a 3 month old to the movie and it was wounded? WTF? Poor baby should have been at home in it's crib.

Xanthe posted:

Merica!
Terrible thing. Deranged people have access to guns????
And people who need them for protection can't get a permit to carry.???
It doesn't surprise me that all the nut jobs have dangerous weapons and law abiding citizens are defenseless.

This is hardly the case. Holmes' weapons and ammo were purchased legally.

Whether anyone in the theater was or was not armed as well is, at this point, speculation. Needless to say, I think it goes without saying Holmes had both superior firepower and the element of surprise. I would find it hard to believe anyone could have defended themselves, armed or not.

The Batsignal has been changed from a bat to the golden arches

Riktor posted:

Xanthe posted:

Merica!
Terrible thing. Deranged people have access to guns????
And people who need them for protection can't get a permit to carry.???
It doesn't surprise me that all the nut jobs have dangerous weapons and law abiding citizens are defenseless.

This is hardly the case. Holmes' weapons and ammo were purchased legally.

Whether anyone in the theater was or was not armed as well is, at this point, speculation. Needless to say, I think it goes without saying Holmes had both superior firepower and the element of surprise. I would find it hard to believe anyone could have defended themselves, armed or not.

That's not really the point I was trying to make but I don't wish to clarify at this time.

<pondering judgement>



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2012 01:36AM by HurtNoMore.

kimsophia posted:

The Batsignal has been changed from a bat to the golden arches

Did McDonald's play a role in the shooting????? O_o

Vendetta11 posted:

kimsophia posted:

The Batsignal has been changed from a bat to the golden arches

Did McDonald's play a role in the shooting????? O_o

There was a similar massacre at a McDonald's here in California: [en.wikipedia.org]

I'm waiting for Kevlar casual wear to come into style.

ive seen the media bring up a part from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, where a lone sicko opens fire in a "Batman inspired porn theater", as possible influence on the shooter, in that absurd way modern media loooves to do.

here's another panel from The Dark Knight Returns, which i think is much more appropriate:



would that more people felt this way.

How to prove you're the goddamned Batman: take it upon yourself to visit the Colorado shooting victims quietly, on your own time.

Click through the ad to the story. A seriously fucking class move: Christian Bale Visits Colorado Shooting Victims

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I DO, that defines me."

I agree as well. While Bale may have his personal anger management issues, he goes out of his way for the good of others. This instance, plus the whole putting himself at risk with the CNN crew for Chen Guangcheng, really gives him a thumbs up in my book.