By now I’m sure you’ve all heard of the shooting that took place in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater last night during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. As reported by Reuters and other outlets, a masked gunman, reportedly wearing a flak jacket and gas mask, entered the theater through an emergency exit at the front right of the auditorium and released a canister of tear gas and began firing into the crowd, killing 12 people and wounding at least 50 others.
A witness tells Sky News, “There was a child struck, a little baby girl was struck in her back and that was something that’s going to stay with me for the rest of my life. You can never prepare yourself for seeing a mother holding her child. That’s the one thing that sticks in my mind.
“It was crazy; it was like law enforcement just fell out of the sky,” he said. “One minute I’m helping my friend, the next I’m yelling for help and then there was police everywhere, they responded unbelievably.”
Warner Bros. has since cancelled the Paris premiere and released a statement saying, “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.”
President Obama has also released a statement, adding, “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.”
The news is terribly sad and sickening and places a black cloud over the release of one of the year’s biggest cinematic releases.
It’s funny, just last night I was watching my Twitter feed fill up with people excited to attend midnight screenings of The Dark Knight Rises. I felt a little jealous my job prevents me from being part of the group of people standing in line with excitement, but it was clear evidence of how movies such as this bring us together for a shared experience. Something that keeps us off the Internet, disconnected from our cell phones if only for a few hours. And now this…
[Photo: Yahoo]
