12 People Killed When Gunman Opens Fire During Batman Premiere - National - The Atlantic Wire

12 People Killed When Gunman Opens Fire During Batman Premiere - National - The Atlantic Wire:

Around 12:35 a.m. shortly after a showing of the The Dark Knight Rises began, a lone gunman entered the theater though an emergency exit door carrying several weapons, wearing some sort of body armor, and a gas mask. The man threw one or more canisters of some kind of gas, possibly tear gas or a smoke bomb. Then the man began opening fire with an automatic weapon. More than 50 were people hit — ten died in the theater, four more died after being transported to local hospitals. (Update: The total has since been revised down to 12.) Police responded quickly and found the gunman in the parking lot near his car. The suspect (Update: Now identified as 24-year-old James Holmes.) is in custody and there is "no evidence" that there was a second shooter. The man reportedly told police he had explosives in his apartment and police SWAT teams have surrounded and evacuated his apartment complex and are searching his car.