What Happened in Aurora Movie Theater Colorado?

Movie Theater|Theater

On July 20th, 2012, a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado was the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. On that night, James Holmes opened fire on an unsuspecting audience during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 Movie Theaters in Aurora.

The shooting began at approximately 12:39 am when Holmes entered the theater through an emergency exit, armed with an assault rifle, two shotguns, and two handguns. He released tear gas and opened fire on the audience. In total, twelve people were killed and seventy were injured before Holmes was apprehended by police outside the theater.

The victims included six men and six women ranging from ages eighteen to forty-eight years old. Many of them were college students or recent graduates who had gone to see the movie with family or friends.

In addition to those killed and injured in the shooting, many more people were traumatized by what they witnessed that night. Witnesses described hearing “pop pop pop” as Holmes fired multiple shots into the crowd before fleeing out of a side exit door.

The tragedy sent shockwaves throughout Colorado and across the nation as people tried to comprehend why this had happened. In response to the shooting, President Barack Obama released a statement saying “We may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this.”

In 2013 Holmes was found guilty on all 165 counts against him including first-degree murder and attempted murder charges; he was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 3,318 years for his crimes against humanity that night in Aurora Movie Theater Colorado.

The events of July 20th 2012 will never be forgotten by those who lived through it or by those who lost loved ones that night. The tragedy serves as a reminder that violence can happen anywhere at any time — even at something as innocent as going out to watch a movie with friends and family.

Conclusion:

What happened in Aurora Movie Theater Colorado on July 20th 2012 was one of America’s deadliest mass shootings which resulted in twelve fatalities and seventy injuries before James Holmes was apprehended by police outside of the theater. The tragedy sent shockwaves throughout Colorado and across the nation as people tried to comprehend why this had happened; ultimately, Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 3,318 years for his crimes against humanity.