A man walked into a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and opened fire this weekend, putting several bullets into a crowd after throwing a smoke bomb. T’he man killed 12 people and injured 38 more, according to police. A 3 month old baby was one of the people injured in the shooting.
The shooter was arrested in the parking lot, according to Frank Fania, a police spokesperson. The man was in his 20s and from the city where the shooting took place.
Police say that there does not appear to be a second shooter, and that there is no apparent link to terrorism.
President Barack Obama said he and first lady Michelle Obama were “shocked and saddened” by the incident and said that they would support police as they work to solve the crime.
“As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family,” it said.
The shooting occurred during a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” according to police. The gunman came to the front of the theater, threw the smoke bomb, and then opened fire. The smoke bomb contained tear gas, according to witnesses. Observers at the scene say that the man came through the emergency door. One witness said that the man was wearing a mask at the time of the shooting.
“We just heard a pop, pop, pop, pop,” said Quentin Caldwell, a witness.
Police evacuated the suspect’s apartment building after he told them that he had explosives in his unit. The shooter allegedly used an “AK type rifle,” a shotgun and two handguns during the shooting.
“They told us there was a bomb or bomb material located in the house across the street from us.” Rebecca Bradshaw, a neighbor, told CNN.
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