One story above all others is paramount in the thoughts of movie-lovers today, and sadly it is the same one gripping news agendas: the mass shooting in the Colorado screening of The Dark Knight Rises which has left 12 people dead and 59 injured, some critically.

The shooting occurred during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, with witness accounts suggesting that the gunman, who was wearing a gasmask, entered the theatre during an action scene about 20 minutes into the movie. He proceeded to release a tear gas canister, before starting to fire into the crowd. Police arrested a suspect close to the scene, with FBI sources naming him as James Holmes, a 24-year-old Aurora resident and former neuroscience PhD student.

Truly shocking and desperately sad, I think you will all agree. The Dark Knight Rises has probably been the most keenly anticipated movie of the year, and this weekend should have been all about the fun of those who love movies and love the Batman character finally getting to see it. A tragic incident such as this will have been the furthest thing from the minds of those looking forward to the film.

The Paris premiere of Dark Knight Rises, scheduled for tonight, has been cancelled, as have media interviews with the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, and its stars. Reports had suggested that Warner Bros. was considering pulling screenings, but all will now apparently go ahead as planned.

Source: BBC