We're following the tragic shooting in Denver today that has left 12 people dead so far and 38 injured. The shooting happened at the Century 16 Movie Theaters at the Aurora Town Center during a midnight showing of the film The Dark Night Rises. NBC News has confirmed the suspect is 24-year-old James Holmes, who police say appeared at the front of the theater, threw some type of gas or explosive device, and open fired. The gruesome details are beginning to trickle out from eyewitnesses, such as Jennifer Seeger, who said the shooter at one point aimed the gun at her head but then shot the people seated behind her.
President Obama was informed of the massacre at 5:26 am by chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan. Both the President and his opponent Mitt Romney immediately issued statements expressing condolences for the victims. Obama was scheduled to appear at two rallies in Florida today, one in Fort Myers and another in Winter Park, but in light of the tragedy, he decided to return to Washington and suspend his campaign's political activity for the day along with Mitt Romney.
Following a massacre like this, it is hard to avoid heated debates about gun control laws. Politicians and journalists are already connecting the dots. If history is any guide, says the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, today's shooting will do little to change the direction of the gun control debate, which has been moving away from stricter legislation for some time now. Others have displayed less tact in their comments, such as Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tx.), who questioned why nobody else in the theater had a gun to take down the shooter.
But in general, today's event strike a chord in our national consciousness, and we are all reminded of the similar horrors that took place 13 years ago in Columbine, not far from Aurora. Dave Cullen, author of the best-selling book Columbine will join us tonight to talk about the lessons we've learned since then.
Stay with us for more updates on this story as it unfolds.
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Fixation on guns control after such tragedies is natural and trivial reaction but obvious truth is that evil attention seeker will find means to do something terrible enough to make whole country to talk about. I don't want be more irresponsible than necessary just discussing the event and giving ideas how such person(?) can do it - horror movies including Batman series did it already instead me.
What really should be at least initiated it is good funded long term research to understand what such acts are? Statement by sick mind who so desperate to be heard and cannot express himself in civilized manner? Just statistical fluctuation? Symptom of something wrong in society? All of the above or something so special that normal person is unable to comprehend in any way? Aside FBI profilers some multidisciplinary scientists must do the research too. It is obviously not just classical physios but complex combination of many cultural phenomena.
Of course, my heart goes out to those who are lost to us now, to those who are suffering in body, in spirit, in family, and friends.
What disturbs me at this moment (angry) is that NO INFORMED AGENCY has offered a statement from the shooter as to WHY?
The man/shooter is alive and in-custody. He can behave clearly enough to warn that an apartment (surrounding area?) is booby-trapped in some manner.
WHY? No announcement has reached me as to what is troubling this shooter enough to kill and maim those folks in the theater THERE?
Maybe there is no statement? In any case I am not interested too much to know his stated motive, few of us really understand themselves and highly unlikely to expect extraordinary level of self reflection from mass murderer. Most possible real motive is bad sex life no matter what he will say. From my prospective most rational response of society on such incidents until they are incidents is informational blackout for public and very serious research by professionals. Unfortunately in reality it's opposite I am afraid.
Where were the white lights that go on when an exit door is breached? Some signal if only electronic should alert ushers! The bright light in people faces would have prompted some one to get up and close the door! It must have taken the shooter five minutes or more to don his armaments! Were the lights not there? or broken? This seems like bad reporting! if anything a white lite would have given people a heads up on an armed man coming through the door!
Seems AMC has some explaining about lapse of common security at their theaters!
Apparently someone talking on his cell phone let him in.
Nobama were's the HONORING the victim Brian terry..... and his family.......lift your executive privilege order on fast and furious.....
Vote Nobama 2012!!
Here you go, oh wannabe slayer-of-strawmen (look for a "Cabdriver-as-Philosopher Lecture" on that subject at some point; better be ready to take notes or you're going to be embarrassed) :
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/07/09/Indictment-on-Terry-shooting-unsealed/UPI-66181341860047/
Tuscon, July 9 (UPI): An indictment charging five people in the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was unsealed Monday in Tucson, the U.S. Justice Department said.
You can find the story on Fox Noise as well; I didn't pull that one up because I didn't want to have to clean their cookies out of my web browser...
I like your icon/avatar/whatever b113. I like seeing the face of the best candidate for President displayed. Kind of like flying the flag. Glad you are proud enough of the Pres to display his face as your icon.
(no one will get this after b113 changes his icon to Mitten or Aldolf)
Does anyone wonder where all the hate comes from? I wonder where B113 gets his info from and how stable he is.
Things are getting very bad here in America. When the people loose HOPE and see no CHANGE.... sad very sad......
Vote the Republican obstructionists out. They have been keeping all of Obama's change policies from going through and keeping Bush policies in place. Mittens and Ryan want to re-establish Bush policy and re-enforce it just like the Europeans have just tried to do and failed miserably.
Republicans they just don't learn. Vote them all out. Thirty years of failed policy is more than enough. It's time to put America back on top.
Dear freind: Your comment is correct only if you Dems want to burry this great country!. remmember your big prez. JFK he said "don't ask what the country can do for me, ask what you can do for the counrty". Look at Greece they did exectly what you Dems to create here.
Where were the white lights that go on when an exit door is breached? Some signal if only electronic should alert ushers! The bright light in people faces would have prompted some one to get up and close the door! It must have taken the shooter five minutes or more to don his armaments! Were the lights not there? or broken? This seems like bad reporting! if anything a white lite would have given people a heads up on an armed man coming through the door!
Seems AMC has some explaining about lapse of common security at their theaters!
Nick, ushers do not have firearms to fight back. It was 12:30 AM there was no bright light (sadly). And, from police initial statements he was already "donned" on entry to the building. Lastly, the people thought he was part of the movie "presentation".
Interestingly though, there should have been at least one person with an extraordinary view of this massacre: The Projectionist. (Though, that is a different train of thought.)
please when you are "weining" on gun control don't forget to tell us the people about "FAST&FURIOUS". So we all know what you are taking about.