71 Shot, 12 Dead: Masked Gunman Shoots Up 'Dark Knight Rises' Opening

During a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, a man wearing “a riot helmet, goggles and bullet-proof vest” kicked open an emergency exit door and fired into the crowd.

The gunman set off a tear gas or smoke bomb before opening fire during an early shootout scene at about 12:30 a.m. Friday. In all, 71 people were shot, 12 have died. Ten of those killed died at the scene, another two in the hospital, according to Aurora police chief Dan Oates.

James Holmes photo via The Denver Channel (CU)

NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams reported the mass shooting suspect in Colorado is James Holmes, born December 13, 1987. Chief Oates confirmed James Eagen Holmes is the shooter, and he was taken into custody without incident. “He has hair painted red, he said he was the Joker, obviously the enemy of Batman,” said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Aurora police say on @todayshow that suspect’s only contact with police before today was a traffic ticket in 2011.

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettNBCNews) July 20, 2012

Some video footage from the Aurora theater:

911 calls released:

Many people in the theater thought the gunshots and smoke were part of the film. One witness said he thought the sounds were part of a “louder movie next door” until seeing victims flee the theater, hunched over.

Aurora, a suburb of Denver, is about 25 miles from Columbine High School.

The 24-year-old Holmes, now in police custody, was found behind the theater, reportedly with a rifle, a handgun, and other weapons in his car.

The shooter “booby-trapped” his apartment with explosives, said chief Dan Oates. And, Reuters reports, they appear to be “very sophisticated.” His apartment has since been evacuated and police say it could be a matter of “hours or days.” MSNBC reported that not only has the suspect’s apartment building been evacuated, but so have five surrounding buildings.

The Associated Press is reporting that the University of Colorado Medical School (Denver campus) says Holmes was a student there but withdrew last month.

UPDATE: This Redditor, who claims to be one of the gunshot victims, posted graphic images of his wound and bloody T-shirt on the community site.

Eyewitness account here:

Holmes’ mother spoke to ABC News this morning:

A San Diego woman identifying herself as James Holmes’s mother spoke briefly with ABC News this morning.

She had awoken unaware of the news of the shooting and had not been contacted by authorities. She immediately expressed concern that her son may have been involved.

“You have the right person,” she said.

“I need to call the police,” she added. “I need to fly out to Colorado.”

One Facebooker named James Holmes from Littleton, Colorado posted the following note to inform people they had the wrong guy:

Another witness recounts his experience:

The Denver Post served a shotgun ad atop its story, later retracted:

President Obama released this statement Friday morning:

“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.”

CNN has more video:

How story of the shooting spread, via Poynter:

Click here for more eyewitness accounts and news stories …

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