12 dead after shooting at Dark Knight premier in CO

[SerScot]

Here's the link:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18921492

They got the shooter alive. He's apparently a janitor for the theater. He claimed to have explosive materials at his apartment. Authorities are saying no terrorist connections.

[finn]

So shooting 14 people dead and wounding 50 odd others is not terrifying? It'd be interesting to define what IS terrorism and then see how often things described as terrorism actually fit the definition rather than the political mantra.

[Vader]

SIt'd be interesting to define what IS terrorism.

Terrorism is war by the poor, and war is terrorism by the rich.




Condolences to those involved.

[Zarathustra]

This is just horrific. The victims included children, even a 3-month old baby. My son was at a midnight showing here with his girlfriend. They bought their tickets months in advance. They were so excited. I imagine the same innocent exuberance in those at the Colorado show. The idea that it could turn into a bloody massacre is just heart-breaking. The people must have been terrified, trapped by the gunman who put himself at the exit after throwing in a tear gas canister.

I feel so bad for the parents and families affected by this.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

This guy has been waiting to do this for months, at least. I don't know exactly when he planned this but he was waiting specifically for that movie premier.

The two most important things to remember about this case are:
1) as he was shooting people in the theater he said nothing. Nothing. No rant, no shouts of some mantra he found on the Internet, no "this is for such-and-such". Nothing. He didn't want his victims to know why they were being shot, which is scarier than a soliloquy.
2) he did not shoot himself after a police standoff. He wanted to be caught so that he could enjoy the infamy and you can't enjoy the spotlight or give interviews if you are dead.

Also, there won't be any explosives found in his apartment. He said that only to prolong the suspense and the newsworthiness of the story. I know this because there were a handful of people in the breakroom when I got to work this morning, glued to the exterior images of the apartment search.

This guy wants to be a villain like Joker or Bane. He could have done this at the Avengers premier, the Spiderman premier, Hunger Games, Promethues, or any other large movie opening this season but he chose The Dark Knight Rises specifically to tie himself to the movie. From now until so much time has passed that we have forgotten these events completely, his name will be linked to this movie--10 years from now you will still see his name come up on any discussion of TDKR.

How do I know this? I know it because back when I was running a superhero RPG I had one villain who did stuff like this--not exactly a movie theater but a couple of groups of two-man teams sweeping a shopping mall from the entrances, herding people towards the food court--to maximize the impact of his appearances. I know it because I have, for reasons of game plot alone, thought about how things like this might happen...and why.

I am surprised that he was identified so readily, though. That's odd--I would have guessed that he would have no ID on him and make it more difficult to figure out who he was, especially given the fact that he apparently has no criminal record whatsoever. Perhaps he was identified by an eyewitness, someone who knew him.

[Zarathustra]

His mother called the police and told them she believed they had the right guy. When she heard the news this morning, she immediately suspected her son. Seems the guy gave some warning signals. Too bad that wasn't helpful in preventing this.

I think you're right, Hashi, that he chose this movie in particular. I read that he's a janitor at the theater. Maybe he already got to see the movie (I don't know if employees of some theaters screen it for themselves early, but seems likely). He chose a point in the movie when there were explosions and gunshots. Seems he wanted to heighten the confusion factor and theatrical effect.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

And so it begins...

There are already people trying to link the shooter to the Tea Party while other people are trying to claim he is a Democrat. Some people, sadly, are also trying to use this event to argue for more gun control (hint: gun control won't stop things like this).

I also see one news story (well, movie critic) arguing that the "Gangster Squad" trailer shows a group armed men shooting up a movie theater. I have seen that trailer and it does show that. Life imitating art, I suppose.

No, apparently there are "sophisticated" devices in his apartment, according to the police report story I just read. This will need to be verified, though.

[Cybrweez]

Hmm, interesting points hashi. Not saying anything, not caring, maybe even wanting, to get caught. That is scarier than the normal occurrence. Messed up.

[Mr. Broken]

James Holmes should be given what he wants, an audience, to his public hanging.

[Orlion]

I'd rather there isn't much focus on him at all. Give him his trial, sentence him to whatever, and let him rot in obscurity. Focus instead on being empathetic to those affected by this action, much how a community comes together after a tornado.

And anyone who tries to use this as a political gimmick, particularly with regards to things that are not really connected to the event (this is a tea partier/democrat! This is what Obamacare will get you!) are beyond insensitive and are just scum. As time goes by, I can understand people evaluating things like gun control, since that is directly involved... but everything else? Come on.

[Vader]

In two day - July 22nd - will be the first sad anniversary of the Norwegian attacks in Oslo and the massacre at the holiday camp on the island Utøya. There are some similarities. I recall (I might be wrong though) that Breivik was silent during shooting the kids in camp as well. He also didn't kill himslef but let the police get him. He didn't claim to have explosives in his appartment, but he claimed to be part of a larger organization.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Norway_attacks

[Hashi Lebwohl]

And anyone who tries to use this as a political gimmick, particularly with regards to things that are not really connected to the event (this is a tea partier/democrat! This is what Obamacare will get you!) are beyond insensitive and are just scum. As time goes by, I can understand people evaluating things like gun control, since that is directly involved... but everything else? Come on.

Some people are willing to use anything to try and score political points or to make a political opponent or opposing opinion look bad.

[Zarathustra]

The politicization of this by ABC News (specifically Brian Ross) is an amazingly insensitive, incompetent bit of "journalism." Their "investigative reporter" apparently Googled the name "Jim Holmes," looked for one with Tea Party connections, and then told the country on national news that the shooter is possibly connected to the Tea Party. Forget the fact that there are 20 or 30 other James or Jim Holmes in this relatively large city, and that the Jim Holmes in question is in his 50s. This is what passes for news in our biased mainstream reporting. Unbelievable.

Even if the guy was in fact a member of the Tea Party, why in the world would this be newsworthy? If he was a member of his local chess club, should that be reported, too? What does it have to do with the shooting?

Timothy McVeigh was immediately linked to talk radio. The Giffords shooter was immediately linked to Palin (the fact that he was a leftist was quickly forgotten). The media is tripping over its own feet to link this guy to the Tea Party. But when the Muslim Fort Hood shooter jumps onto a table shouting "allahu akbar!" the media (and our President) wants us to believe that this isn't linked to any larger political and/or religious movement at all. Okay. Even though the guy once presented a Power Point presentation on why Jihad against America is justified. Right, no connection whatsoever.

[Zarathustra]

Apparently something very similar to this shooting happened in a 1985 Batman comic. A lone nut shoots up people in a theater. Batman was blamed. I wonder if Holmes was a diehard Batman fanatic, and this was his twisted version of a tribute or homage?

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Of all the comics I have lost or sold over the years, I really regret not keeping my "The Dark Knight Returns"--classic Frank Miller Batman. Yes, the character in question was inspired by Batman, who had only recently resurfaced in Gotham and had the mutant gangs on the run, but as you can tell by the interior monologue the guy was already disturbed.

[Rawedge Rim]

So shooting 14 people dead and wounding 50 odd others is not terrifying? It'd be interesting to define what IS terrorism and then see how often things described as terrorism actually fit the definition rather than the political mantra.

Terrorism is act by an organization or individual that is committed to cause a reaction in a government through violent means.

This may fit that definition, though the guy isn't spouting motives. OTOH, this may be a nutcase who wants his bit of infamy.

I'm with the pubic hanging suggustion, just don't tie his legs so we can see him kick around some if his neck holds out.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

I concur--although tactics such as this do indeed cause terror, I would reserve the definition of "terrorism" to politically-motivated actions only.

This shooter was simply out to make himself infamous. I would conclude that he has succeeded at attaining his goal--right now the domestic news is all about him.

I see some news stories attempting to link this shooting to Columbine. Although this guy would have been about 12 when that shooting occurred, I don't think he was living in Colorado at the time so the two events are related only by relative proximity. I would parallel this guy more with Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber; however, whereas the Unabomber is a terrorist this guy--he doesn't have a nickname yet, but give the media circus time and he will--is merely a random shooter.

[Prebe]

(hint: gun control won't stop things like this).

Was his gun legal?

[sindatur]

The politicization of this by ABC News (specifically Brian Ross) is an amazingly insensitive, incompetent bit of "journalism." Their "investigative reporter" apparently Googled the name "Jim Holmes," looked for one with Tea Party connections, and then told the country on national news that the shooter is possibly connected to the Tea Party. Forget the fact that there are 20 or 30 other James or Jim Holmes in this relatively large city, and that the Jim Holmes in question is in his 50s. This is what passes for news in our biased mainstream reporting. Unbelievable.

Even if the guy was in fact a member of the Tea Party, why in the world would this be newsworthy? If he was a member of his local chess club, should that be reported, too? What does it have to do with the shooting?

Timothy McVeigh was immediately linked to talk radio. The Giffords shooter was immediately linked to Palin (the fact that he was a leftist was quickly forgotten). The media is tripping over its own feet to link this guy to the Tea Party. But when the Muslim Fort Hood shooter jumps onto a table shouting "allahu akbar!" the media (and our President) wants us to believe that this isn't linked to any larger political and/or religious movement at all. Okay. Even though the guy once presented a Power Point presentation on why Jihad against America is justified. Right, no connection whatsoever.

The Suspect is in his 50s, or the one ABC news linked to the Tea Party is in his 50s? The picture they've released of the suspect, is considerably younger than his 50s, looks like he's in his 20s or early 30s.

[I'm Murrin]

The suspect is in his early 20s, so I think he means the one with Tea Party links.