24-year-old James Holmes, suspected of killing 12 people and injuring 38, was until June a student of the University of Colorado in Denver. Photo courtesy of the University
Law enforcement officials have identified the gunman responsible for killing at least 12 people and injuring 59, many of them children, at the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ premier in Colorado’s third largest city of Aurora, as 24-year-old James Holmes.
Within hours, over 250 law enforcement officers and over 100 FBI agents responded to the tragedy. James Holmes was arrested with a rifle, handgun and gasmask in his possession outside of the theater. Another 2 guns were found inside the building. At the time of his arrest, he told officers he was “the Joker”.
24-year-old James Holmes was a student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver until last month, according to spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery .
San Diego media outlets have reported Holmes attended high school at Westview in Carmel Valley. He was also reportedly pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at University of Colorado-Denver. He supposedly enrolled in the fall of 2011, but dropped out in June.
Witnesses reported seeing a tall, gun-wielding man clad in body armor and wearing a gas mask in the theatre. Aurora police chief Daniel Oates told reporters that Holmes entered the theatre dressed in tactical clothing, a tactical ballistic vest, a helmet and a gas mask.
The police chief added that the gunman had on him an Ar-15, a Remington shotgun and two 40-caliber Glocks.
At least 12-15 people have been killed and 38-50 wounded after a masked gunman shot moviegoers at the latest ‘Batman’ premiere in Colorado. The attack is the worst in the state’s history since the infamous Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
How it happened
The theater in the Colorado city of Aurora in the Denver Metro area was packed with a lot of people, many of them young fans, at the time the shooting started, 9news reports. The violence erupted some 15 minutes after the movie began, witnesses said.
Many moviegoers had dressed up to attend the premiere of the latest Batman film. The gunman, who would have stood out in other circumstances, may have managed not to attract attention before he launched his attack.
Police say that the assailant approached the theatre from the back, and initially opened a chemical gas canister. Witnesses recounted hearing a hissing sound and smoke.
The shooting started while a gunfight was underway onscreen. Some people said that when they first heard the gunfire, they thought it was some kind of promotional trick or a special effect.
Witnesses reported seeing a tall, gun-wielding man clad in body armor and wearing a gas mask in the theatre. The assailant attempted to block the exits to trap the moviegoers inside. Some said the gunman managed to empty at least two clips.
One of the injured moviegoers posted a picture of his “near brush with death” online. The young man was treated for a gunshot wound in a Colorado hospital. Image taken and posted online by http://themurderator.imgur.com/
At least 15 dead, including children
Aurora police said that 12 people died in the horrific attack, and the bodies of 10 victims are still inside the theatre. The youngest victim is believed to be just 12 years old.
In a tragic twist of fate, one of the victims of this rampage was aspiring sportscaster Jessica Ghawi – who survived the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto just one month ago. In a moving blog post she wrote a few weeks ago, Jessica spoke about that day, saying she ” saw the terror on bystanders’ faces.”
“I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath,” the journalist wrote.
Her brother Jordan confirmed her death to reporters as he was catching a flight from her native San Antonio, Texas to Denver.
He took to Twitter to say “‘This could easily be the worst night of my life. It appears that my sister has been fatally wounded in a mass shooting at a movie premiere in Denver, CO.”
Jessica was attending the premiere with a friend, Brent Lowak, who was reportedly shot at least one time and was taken to a nearby hospital.
At least 38 -50 others were admitted to local hospitals, some in critical condition.
An area children’s hospital said the youngest of the six shooting victims brought to them is six years old. Not all of the patients at the hospital are children, however.
Another local hospital is treating a baby as young as three months old who was wounded in the shooting. Some witnesses to the shooting said they saw a baby who had been injured in the theater. The baby’s condition is unknown at this time.
Several victims are being treated for chemical exposure rather than gunshot wounds, medical staff say.
College of the Desert, Trustee, Chuck Hayden, along with Dr. Edwin Deas, VP of Administration Affairs and Dr. Jole Kinnermon, the President and CEO of the College, made a proposal to the City of Desert Hot Springs regarding a brand-new College of the Desert Education Center.
The college would like to partner with the City on this new Center that would be placed west of the City offices on Pierson. This site is only proposed at this time, the city council must vote to approve the location on city-owned property. The build in would house a small adman. Office and three sizable classrooms each huge enough for 5O students is proposed. College of the Desert Trustee Mr. Hayden wants one of the classrooms to be dedicated to technology.
The college proposes parking in front of the building and on the side. Mr. Hayden has been working to bring a permanent facility to our community for over six years. The reason he would like the idea of putting the building, there is its close to the high school and has good visibility for the rest of the community.
Preliminary sketch of the facility, showing the three classrooms
July 15, 2012, Palm Springs, CA – Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter is teaming up with VCA Rancho Mirage Animal Hospital for an extra special kitten adoption event on Saturday, July 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Adopters will have the opportunity to meet over thirty cute and cuddly kittens of all ages, colors and stripes. The low $20 adoption fee includes spay/neuter, microchip and all age appropriate vaccinations.
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter has experienced an unusually high influx of kittens over the past three months, with many of the kittens coming into the shelter without mothers (some as young as two days old, requiring around the clock bottle feeding by staff, volunteers and foster guardians). The shelter is currently caring for over two hundred and fifty felines, over half of whom are kittens.
“Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter is supporting the effort to find homes for the cats and kittens through their foster program, rescue transfer program and mobile adoption events,” says Jill Vega, shelter adoption counselor. “There is no way we could take care of all these cats and kittens without the help of our many dedicated volunteers and foster guardians. With their support, we have been able to care for and nurture these beautiful kittens. Now, though, the kittens are healthy, happy, and ready for their forever homes.”
The event will take place at VCA Rancho Mirage Animal Hospital, located at 71075 California 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.
Desert Hot Springs, California (July 17, 2012) – The City of Desert Hot Springs will start street improvements on Sonora Drive (north of Mission Lakes Blvd .) today.
Street improvements include completing the street and sidewalks on the east side of Sonora Drive, north of Avenida Dorado to Avenida Jalisco, and the west side of Sonora Drive, south of Avenida Dorado to complete the full width improvements until the street reaches Mission Lakes Blvd. The street improvements will greatly benefit the school children walking to Painted Hills Middle School and the future elementary school that will be built in the Rancho Del Oro area at a later date. Improvements shall be completed by August 14, 2012. Hours of construction are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. None of the streets will be closed during construction.
This program is being funded by the City’s Capital Improvement fund which consists of development impact fees and grant funds.
Desert Hot Springs, California (July 18, 2012) – Sarah Robles grew up in Desert Hot Springs and San Jacinto, California. She started her athletic career in the 8th grade,competing in track and field. Although Sarah loved weightlifting, it was not her main focus, and she went on to compete at the University of Alabama and Arizona StateUniversity on track and field scholarships.
While at ASU, Sarah rediscovered her love for weightlifting and caught the eye of Joe Micela, one of the leading weightlifting coaches in the country. Coached by Mr. Micela,Sarah began entering local weightlifting competitions and rose rapidly through the eliteranks of the sport. Eventually, she made the tough decision to give up her scholarshipat ASU to dedicate her time to weightlifting.
Sarah lifted her first weights competitively in 2008 and, just four years later, is the top-ranked women's weightlifter in the country. On March 8, 2012, she lifted a personal-best total of 258 kilograms (567.6 pounds) at the trials in Columbus, Ohio, earning her a spot on Team USA's 2012 Women's Weightlifting Team. Sarah is considered a favorite to medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
City of Desert Hot Springs Mayor Yvonne Parks stated, “The City of Desert HotSprings congratulates Ms. Robles on this major accomplishment and wishes her the best of luck in London! We’ll be rooting for you, Sarah!”
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