In this time of difficulty, our hearts go out to the victims, families, and friends of the people involved with the theater shooting at Colorado. While investigations are still underway, here are some of the things you need to know about what happened at Aurora’s Century 16 movie theater and the man behind the devastation.
1. Alleged gunman, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, a neuroscience graduate (PhD) student from the University of Colorado, dyed his hair red for the “occasion” and told police that he was “The Joker”. (Source)
2. James is a University of California-Riverside graduate with a degree in neuroscience. He was remembered as an outstanding “top of the top” student who attended on a merit-based scholarship. Neighbours said that as a person, he appeared to be a typical American kid to kept to himself. (Source)
3. Prior to the shooting, James went firearms shopping. He legally purchased four guns over the course of 60 days from local shops, as well as multiple magazines (each one holding up to 100 rounds, for an arsenal of 6,000 rounds of ammunition) off the internet. (Source)
4. The shooting began about 15 minutes into the midnight screenings; which would put the movie at the airplane scene (the gunshot-heavy opening scene). (Source)
5. In an eerie life-imitating-art turn, “The Dark Knight Rises” centers in part of Bane (played by Tom Hardy), a murderous rebel who wear a gas mask and incites violence. James was seen with goggles, guns, and a gas mask too. (Source)
6. The movie mass massacre has left 58 injured (30 wounded and 11 in critical condition) and at least 12 dead, including aspiring sportscaster Jessica Ghawi aka Jessica Redfield. Authorities have yet to identify the 10 victims who died at the theater. (Source)
7. James’ apartment where he lived alone was entirely booby-trapped with sophisticated explosives. Preliminary investigations into it revealed a grim labyrinth of chemical and incendiary explosives, along with buckets of ammunition. (Source)
8. It is likely that “The Dark Knight Rises” screenings will now be turned into shows of support for the victims of the Aurora violence. Warner Bros. have announced that out of respect for the victims and their families, they will be holding off on releasing data regarding the movie’s weekend box office. (Source)
9. Broadcast and cable channels across US (including NBC, CBS, and ESPN) have since started pulling “The Dark Knight Rises” ads from airing on national and local programs.
10. The strangest finding so far has been just the one of “ClassicJimbo” on AdultFriendFinder – a sex site. The profile appears to have been set up by James Holmes and it features pictures of James with red hair. Thorough investigation ensues. (Source)
“Will you visit me in prison?” send shivers down our spines. For more timely updates and live coverage on the Colorado shooting, hit up CNN.
