At least 14 people have been killed and up to 50 injured after a mass shooting at a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" at a suburban Denver movie theater, police say.
The suspect, believed to be the lone gunman, is in police custody. KUSA reports that the suspect kicked down an emergency door at the theater, threw in some type of a smoke bomb and began shooting when moviegoers started to run.
Witnesses say they heard a series of explosions and up to 20 gunshots after the scene grew chaotic. About 100 witnesses were taken to a local high school to be questioned by police.
Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the Aurora, Colo., theater after frantic 911 calls around 12:30 a.m. local time, officials said.
The suspect reportedly fired shots inside the theater and fled to the parking lot and was confronted by police already at the theater for crowd control.
The suspect's identity was not released, but was wearing a bullet-proof vest and in his 20s, police said. The gunman was carrying a rifle and two handguns, police said. The handguns may have been placed in the theater before the shooting.
President Obama said he is "shocked and saddened" by the mass shooting and urged the nation to "come together as one American family." He said his administration will do everything it can to support the people of Aurora, Colo. Obama was in Florida at the time of the shooting. The White House says Obama was informed of the shooting by his Homeland Security Advisor, John Brennan.
James Cameron, who was in an adjacent theater, said he hear commotion and screaming. People seated around him began coughing and having difficulty breathing.
"By the sound of it, it sounds like there could have been three or four guys shooting," he said.
Audra Mincey, a spokeswoman for the Swedish Medical Center, told Fox News there are two patients in critical condition.
Mincey said the hospital set up its incident command center and mobilized personnel.
President Obama released a statement saying he was "saddened"to learn about the shooting and that his administration will do everything it can to support the people of Aurora.
Earlier reports said there may have been a second shooter, but police believe only one shooter was involved, KDVR tells Fox News.
Police Chief Dan Oates says city police are checking the area for explosives. The suspect's apartment building was evacuated.
Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson says "the scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time."
Witness Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he was inside Theater 16 and heard several shots.
"Like little explosions going on and shortly after that we heard people screaming," he told the station.
Hayden said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door. But then he saw "people hunched over leaving theater."
12 dead, at least 50 injured in shooting at Colorado movie theater
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Originally Posted by Anomeley
