BREAKING NEWS: At Least 10 Dead, 20 Hurt in Aurora Colorado Shooting Spree

Howdy Folks!
At least 10 people have died, and more than 39 others have been hurt at the Aurora 16 Theatres at Aurora Town Center here in Colorado.

As news is just starting to be reported, information is sketchy, but it is reported that a suspect is in custody.
Evidently, an individual deployed pepper spray in theatre #9 during a midnight showing of "Dark Knight" and started firing into the crowd.
Individuals in an adjacent theatre are also reported injured.

More as details become available!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Howdy Folks!
The Aurora Police held a press conference at the scene, reporting the shooter had a shotgun or rifle and a handgun, was dressed tactical with a bullet resistant vest, gas mask and dressed in black. The suspect then deployed pepper spray or tear gas canister before opening fire into the crowded theatre. The Chief of Police now reports 14 dead, more than 50 injured, and the suspect in custody has made reference to explosive devices. Police are now checking theatres and parking lots to determine whether bombs may be present. There may also be explosive devices at the suspect's residence, and that apartment building has been evacuated as the police check for bombs there as well. According to the APD chief of police. Law enforcement agencies from around the front range are pitching in the assist APD.

10 died at the scene, 4 more at local hospitals.

Many uninjured witnesses are presently being sheltered at Gateway High School while being debriefed.

More details to be posted as it becomes available

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

I'm currently watching this live. This is nut's. I hope the rest of the others in the hospital make it. I bet that theater was a gun free zone too. What a shame. My condolences go to all the people and there families who were killed or injured.

Oh, no, not again.

Sounds like a goof with a gun.

News reports say he had a rifle and a handgun.

If he had an AR/AK . . . oh boy...get ready for another AWB . . .

HankT said:

Sounds like a goof with a gun.

News reports say he had a rifle and a handgun.

If he had an AR/AK . . . oh boy...get ready for another AWB . . .

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Howdy Hank!
I tend to be 'old school' when it comes to reporting, as I have a background in broadcasting. Ergo, I tend to await confirmed facts before I report on them.
That being said, I have heard one unconfirmed report that the shooter had an AR-15 rifle.
Again, that is not a confirmed report.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

S.W.A.T has surrounded an apartment complex in North Aurora because the shooter indicated there may be explosive devices at his residence.
The location has not been made public, but the complex has been evacuated as police search for any devices that may exist at that location.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

I'd be interested in the round count at the theater.

And how many mags the guy had.

HankT said:

I'd be interested in the round count at the theater.

And how many mags the guy had.

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Early reports, unconfirmed, is some 60 shots, and he reloaded at least once.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Victim #15 Has Died.

Howdy Folks!
It is now reported a 15th victim has died of gunshot wounds suffered in the shooting spree at the Century 16 in Aurora.

At least 4 RTD busses took witnesses to Gateway High School for debriefing as the investigation goes on.

Homeland Security has awakened the President. Do not know the import of that report.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Oh, no, not again.

M-Taliesin said:

Homeland Security has awakened the President. Do not know the import of that report.

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"Mr. President, conratulations. We have our issue for the proposal of a new AWB before the election. Attorney General Holder concurs and will be calling, after he changes his pants."

Damnit i am beyond f'ing pissed about this.

HankT said:

"Mr. President, conratulations. We have our issue for the proposal of a new AWB before the election. Attorney General Holder concurs and will be calling, after he changes his pants."

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Howdy Pard!
Considering the gravity of the situation, I'd like to keep politics out of this and focus on the victims in this situation.
There are police agencies from Littleton, Highlands Ranch, and as far away as Jefferson County, Boulder County and Brighton on the scene.
Whether there are explosive devices at the apartment complex is not yet confirmed nor denied.
The situation in and of itself is such that should be of grave concern to all human beings, let alone gun owners.

There will be plenty of time later to examine other issues. Right now, however, the unfolding tragedy is more than enough for a Friday morning.

Hope everybody will understand, because this sort of thing just defies understanding.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

one person firing back at this POS would have reduced the count.

these were mostly kids this person killed. im speechless beyond pissed

I caught-up on BBC. Hopefully the shooter is a lone; apparently he stated that he is. What would cause a person to go-off like that--I would like to know what the hell goes through the head of a person like that.

Hopefully the death-toll has finished its climb, and all the injured pull through.

“The most that I saw was a girl pretty much covered in blood and she didn’t have any wounds on her,” a witness who was inside the theater said in an interview shown on CNN’s Web site. “It made me think the worst.” He said that when police arrived they carried a girl out. “She wasn’t moving,” he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/u...led-in-shooting-at-colorado-mall.html?_r=1&hp

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PFC HALE said:

one person firing back at this POS would have reduced the count.

these were mostly kids this person killed. im speechless beyond pissed

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We're such a small segment of the population that unfortunately those who OC/CC aren't at those places where all hell breaks loose...that is, we're not there too often.

Beretta92FSLady said:

We're such a small segment of the population that unfortunately those who OC/CC aren't at those places where all hell breaks loose...that is, we're not there too often.

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Howdy Friend!
I agree, but find it hard to believe that nobody was armed and able to counter this shooter.
Meanwhile, the death toll has been revised downward to 12. Evidently, the news media locally has not been doing a real good job of confirming facts.
Likely as not, we won''t know the final count for a day or two anyhow.

In related events, the bomb squad from Denver and Adams County Sheriff's office has joined with Aurora P.D. at an apartment complex at 17th and Peoria here because the shooter indicated he may have explosive devices at his apartment. The shooter has only been identified as a 24 year old white male who wore tactical gear to launch is attack on folks watching the movie.

The alleged shooter's name has been announced as James Holmes according to local radio station KOA and 9News Denver.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Beretta92FSLady said:

We're such a small segment of the population that unfortunately those who OC/CC aren't at those places where all hell breaks loose...that is, we're not there too often.

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This is a true and very important point.
In comparison to the general population, hardly anyone carries a gun. That's why these crazed single shooters can estimate that they will likely be unchallenged when they begin their mayham. Even if we doubled the gun carrying segment of the population, that estimation would still be pretty good.

Another important point is that even if there were, say, one citizen gun carrier in the audience, what is he/she going to do when the bullets start flying?

Running like hell to take cover is gonna be very high on the list of options. And properly so. Waiting around to see if you can engage is probably a high risk-low benefit strategy in this case.



It would not surprise me if there was a CCer or two in the audience last night. Who might've been unable or unwilling to take on a guy with a (AR-15?) rifle. Self-defense doesn't mean automatically shooting it out with some goof with a gun. If I'm at a movie with my kids and shots are fired from one direction--I grab those kids and head out in the other direction--even though I have a perfectly good gun on my hip and a reload in my pocket.

So even if there are GG guns in the house it doesn't mean that the shooter loses any bit of the advantage he has once he starts shooting.

Better to figure out how to keep the gun out of the hands of the murderous goofballs if possible, and if allowable under the law.

HankT said:

Another important point is that even if there were, say, one citizen gun carrier in the audience, what is he/she going to do when the bullets start flying?

Running like hell to take cover is gonna be very high on the list of options. And properly so. Waiting around to see if you can engage is probably a high risk-low benefit strategy in this case.

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Howdy Pard!
Maybe I'm an oddball, or because I don't have kids. With my knees, running isn't a terrific strategy. Aside from that, I'd likely have engaged the shooter anyhow, which may have distracted him enough to allow others to escape safely. But it is easy to say that sort of thing when I wasn't there. I'd like to believe I'd have tried to do something. The big issue is how anybody may have been successful in engaging the shooter when tear gas or pepper agent had been deployed. It ain't easy to shoot straight when vision and breathing are impaired.

Still, I'd hope I'd have tried to save others by engaging the shooter.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

This is looking like it's going to get over analyzed already and anti-gunners are going to have a field day but I bet they'll neglect to mention that this person would have been able to legally own guns in damn near every country that private ownership of long guns and handguns is legal given his clean record. Also gun control may very well become part of the presidential campaign now, though not right away. Kind of makes me want to walk everywhere with a ballistic vest on with a lovely message on the back along the lines of "The media convinced me I need this."

M-Taliesin said:

Howdy Pard!
Maybe I'm an oddball, or because I don't have kids. With my knees, running isn't a terrific strategy. Aside from that, I'd likely have engaged the shooter anyhow, which may have distracted him enough to allow others to escape safely. But it is easy to say that sort of thing when I wasn't there. I'd like to believe I'd have tried to do something. The big issue is how anybody may have been successful in engaging the shooter when tear gas or pepper agent had been deployed. It ain't easy to shoot straight when vision and breathing are impaired.

Still, I'd hope I'd have tried to save others by engaging the shooter.

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Sounds like a little bit of an apiring hero deal, M-T.

Idealistic. But probably not practical.

Kind of reminds me of the Zimmerman mentality--"Hey, let me see if I can engage in this situation--after all, I have a gun!"

Question for you , M-T: If you were in that theater and for some reason did not have your weapon on you, would you have engaged the shooter?