Gunman Kills 12 at Colorado Screening of The Dark Knight Rises

This is a retelling, in our own words, of the story reported by CNN and the world press on July 20, 2012. It describes a mass shooting; reader discretion is advised.

A heavily armed gunman attacked a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, in the early hours of Friday, July 20, 2012 — tossing tear gas into the audience before opening fire, killing 12 people and wounding dozens. The theater was packed with fans at a midnight premiere of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, some of them in costume.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos in the darkened theater: screaming, panicked moviegoers scrambling for the exits as a black-clad gunman wearing a gas mask moved up the theater's steps, firing. According to a federal law enforcement official, the shooter carried at least four guns — a rifle described as AK-type, a shotgun, and two handguns — and used tear gas.

Police arrested a suspect in the theater's rear parking lot without resistance. Two federal law enforcement sources identified him as James Holmes, 24, of Aurora. Police seized a rifle and a handgun from the suspect, and additional weapons were recovered in the theater.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said there was no evidence of a second gunman, and the FBI said the attack did not appear to be terrorism-related. The suspect was expected to make an initial court appearance the following Monday; no formal charges had been filed at the time of reporting.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper called the shooting "not only an act of extreme violence, it is also an act of depravity." President Barack Obama said he and First Lady Michelle Obama were "shocked and saddened," pledging federal support for the victims and their families.

The massacre — among the deadliest mass shootings in American history — instantly reignited the national debate over gun violence, and cast a shadow over the biggest film release of the summer.

Based on CNN and wire reporting (July 20, 2012).