Is this 'The Joker'? Police probe adult website profile of Colorado 'gunman' posted online weeks before massacre that left 12 dead

• NY Police Commissioner said gunman told police he was The Joker
• Shooter James Holmes, 24, dropped out from neuroscience PhD at University of Colorado in June
• Holmes bought a movie ticket, entered with crowd and put on ballistic gear
• Set off smoke bomb then fired indiscriminately with as many as four guns
• 58 injured and 12 dead, including Jessica Ghawi, AJ Boik, Alex Sullivan, Micayla Medek, John Thomas Larimer and Matt McQuinn
• Shooter listened to one techno song on repeat before shooting
• Holmes arrested nearby and warned apartment was booby-trapped
• Killer had arsenal of 6,000 rounds which he bought at local shops and online
• President Obama and film director Christopher Nolan paid tribute to victims

By Jill Reilly, Lydia Warren, Hugo Gye and Daniel Bates In Aurora, Colorado


Police are investigating an account on a sex cruising website which appears to have been set up by James Holmes, the grad school dropout who allegedly killed 12 people at a screening of the new Batman film on Thursday night.
The AdultFriendFinder page, which belongs to a 24-year-old user calling himself 'ClassicJimbo', features pictures of a man who looks like Holmes with dyed red hair.
He says he is looking for 'casual sex' or a 'fling' - and writes, 'Will you visit me in prison?'
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Profile: This image is said to depict James Holmes, who allegedly launched an attack on a cinema during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises and claimed to be 'The Joker', played by Heath Ledger (right)

Victim: Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring TV presenter, was one of the 12 people shot dead in the massacre. She was tweeting about her excitement at seeing the film until moments before her death

Casualties: Micayla Medek, left, and Alex Sullivan, right, were both declared dead after having been missing

Death: AJ Boik was reported to be another victim of the murderous rampage inflicted on a Colorado cinema

Couple: Matt McQuinn, right, attended the movie with his girlfriend Samantha Yowler, left, and ended up being one of the casualties. His girlfriend was injured also

A picture of John Thomas Larimer, who was in the Century 16 cinema theatre in Aurora when James Holmes burst in firing. His family have confirmed that he was among the dead

'Killer': James Holmes burst into a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado and fired indiscriminately at audience members at the new Batman film

Holmes was equipped with an 'arsenal' of more than 6,000 rounds which could have slaughtered thousands when he allegedly killed or injured 70 cinemagoers, according to the police chief in Aurora, Colorado.
The six victims who had been named by the end of the night were Jessica Ghawi, 24, Alex Sullivan, 27, John Thomas Larimer, 27, Matt McQuinn, 26, Micayla Medek, 23, and AJ Boik, 18.
While there are a couple of minor discrepancies in the AdultFriendFinder account, including a birth date and height which are slightly different to those reported by officials, it is convincing enough to have attracted the attention of police, according to Mediaite.
The man's red hair fits with the statement by NYPD boss Ray Kelly that the gunman had dyed his hair before the cinema attack.

 

The user, who admits to not being well-endowed, writes: 'Looking for a fling or casual sex gal. Am a nice guy. Well, as nice enough of a guy who does these sort of shenanigans.'
Under 'Education', he writes, 'Some grad school' - which would fit with an identification of him as PhD dropout Holmes.
'ClassicJimbo' created his account on July 5, and last accessed it on Tuesday.
Holmes had painted his hair red and said he was The Joker - Batman's arch nemesis - before he tossed a gas canister into the late-night showing of The Dark Knight Rises and opened fire.

He had bought a movie ticket and sat down. He later sneaked out moments before the first fight scene in the film and propped open a fire exit before driving his car back to the door.
Inside the boot of the car he had an AR-15 assautl rifle, a Remington 870 shotgun, and two Glock handguns. Now armed with the weapons he burst back into theatre 16 and opened fire shortly before 12.30am.

Some people reportedly said they first thought the shooting was part of the movie and reported how Holmes moved up the cinema aisle, shooting anyone who tried to flee.
Detectives said Holmes was dressed all in black, wearing a ballistic helmet, a tactical ballistic vest, ballistic leggings, a throat protector, a groin protector, a gas mask and black tactical gloves.

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said: 'It clearly looks like a deranged individual. He had his hair painted red. He said he was "The Joker", obviously the enemy of Batman.'
The Joker is the arch villain in Batman but Holmes' black outfit, gas mask and multiple weapons bears similarities to Bane, the badman in the new Batman film. Bane also wires Gotham City with explosives.

Trail of blood: A line of blood leads from the emergency exit of the cinema, from where James Holmes launched his killing spree, and past the suspect's car

Gruesome: An ATF agent examines the grisly scene left outside the movie theater where Holmes allegedly opened fire on dozens of unarmed spectators

Arsenal: The gas mask and assault rifle left at the cinema by James Holmes after the shootings

Profile: The user 'ClassicJimbo' says he is single and looking for 'a fling or casual sex'

Detectives said they have ruled out all links to terrorism but reported that Holmes' living room had what looked like sophisticated trip wires connected to bottles containing unknown liquid.
Bomb disposal experts are using a robot to make sure the apartment is safe and neighbours in five nearby buildings have been evacuated.
Student Kaitlyn Fonzi, 20, and boyfriend nurse Chris Rodriguez, 30, said they fear Holmes may have tried to lure them into his booby trapped apartment.
The pair lived below Holmes and said they heard loud techno music playing at 12am - moments before the shooting spree started.
Music blared from the flat for an hour and Kaitlyn said: 'I went upstairs to complain but there was no one there. The door wasn't locked and I was going to poke my head in but chickened out.
'I'm glad I didn't. We think the music was on a timer.'
A neighbour also reported that police, who were searching Holmes' apartment for explosives, asked him if he had seen 'a white guy with crazy hair, possibly dyed unnatural colors', the Denver Post said.
Police said they arrested Holmes in a car park behind the cinema.
With some of the deceased still missing, authorities have said they will not release a full list of those who were killed or injured in the attack.
However, families who have been informed of the deaths have chosen to come forward to pay tribute to their loved ones.
Alex Sullivan he had 'planned a weekend of fun' and had started with celebrating his birthday 27th birthday by watching the screening with friends.
He was also looking forward to celebrating his first wedding anniversary on Sunday. Late on Friday, Sullivan's family confirmed that police told them he was among those killed.
Micayla Medek, 23, was also among the dead, her father's cousin, Anita Busch, confirmed the death.
The family of Navy serviceman John Thomas Larimer, 27, said they anxiously tried to contact him but realised he was among the dead when a Navy notification team contacted them.
The knew he had been at the theatre and later said: 'At this point, our other son Noel is in Denver working with the Navy and the family here in Illinois to make arrangements to bring John home.
Eighteen-year-old AJ Boik died after traveling to the midnight viewing with his friend Jordan Crofter, 19, who is believed to be distraught over his friends death.
Matt McQuinn, 26, has been hailed a hero after diving in front of his girlfriend Samantha Yowler as Holmes took aim.
The death of Jessica Ghawi, who was also known as Jessica Redfield, was a 'complete and utter shock,' said her brother, Jordan Ghawi.
The 24-year-old only last month wrote about how she had survived a shooting at the Eaton Centre mall in Toronto which killed two people and left several injured.
She had moved to Denver from Texas about a year ago to pursue her dreams of becoming a TV sports presenter.

Discarded: Investigators look over evidence on ground outside the back door of the movie theatre. The gunman had been wearing head-to-toe ballistic gear

Television news crews set up for their live reports in front of the home of Robert and Arlene Homes, parents of James

Marietta Perkins of Denver prays for victims and their families at a memorial near the Aurora Theatre, Colorado

A makeshift memorial is shown behind the Century 16 movie theatre where a gunman attacked movie goers during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises

Someone who has grown up in Aurora leaves a note expressing their sorrow for the victims of the massacre

Marietta Perkins falls to her knees in sorrow and prayer at a vigil across the street form the movie theater, Friday, in Aurora

Vigil: Mourners weep at a prayer meeting outside the massacre site on Friday evening

Distraught: A woman uses a cell phone as she sits on the steps at Gateway High School near the scene in Aurora, Colorado

It has also emerged that Holmes, who is accused of killing 12 and injuring 58 had been studying at the University of Colorado's medical campus until June this year.
The massacre took place 20 miles from Columbine High School where two students killed 13 people in 1999.
On Friday night, well over 1,000 people joined vigils at nearby churches and outside the theatre itself to commemorate the victims of the shooting.
Families of the dead paid tribute to their loved ones after receiving news that the worst had indeed come to pass.
Alex Sullivan's uncle said: 'He was a very, very good young man. He always had a smile, always made you laugh. He had a little bit of comic in him. Witty, smart. He was loving, had a big heart.'
The cousin of Micayla Medek said that the report of her death had come almost as a relief after a terrible day of waiting for news.
'I hope this evil act doesn't shake people's faith in God,' she added.
Holmes's firepower included 3,000 rounds of ammunition for his A-15 assault rifle including a 100 drum magazine which could have fired a staggering 60 rounds a minute.
Chillingly, he bought it all over the internet with no apparent checks to see if he was stockpiling.
The full scale of his planning was revealed by Aurora police chief Dan Oates in an emotional press conference in which he almost broke down in tears and vowed to ensure Holmes went to jail.
He said: 'The most important thing is that there is justice for these victims, and that justice will occur in a courtroom'.

Emotion: Aurora police chief Daniel Oates was visibly moved when asked how the attack affected him

Towed: Holmes's car being removed from the scene of the shooting on Friday evening

Evidence: The car was impounded by officials after being abandoned in the parking lot of the theatre

Chief Oates said that Holmes had stocked up in just 60 days before going on his killing spree.
He said: 'He purchased four guns at local gun shops and through the Internet he purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition, more than 3,000 rounds of 223 ammunition for the assault rifle, 3,000 rounds of 40 caliber ammunition for the two glocks in his possession, 300 rounds for the 12 gauge shotgun.
'Also through the internet he purchased multiple magazines for the 223 caliber assault rifle including one 100 round drum magazine which was recovered from the scene.'
'Even if it was semi-automatic I'm told by experts that with that drum magazine he could have got off 50 to 60 rounds within a minute. As far as we know it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in the theatre.
'My understanding is that all the weapons he possessed he possessed legally and all the clips that he possessed he possessed legally and all the ammunition he possessed, he possessed legally.'
A source familiar with the investigation told the Daily Mail: 'It's insane that he was able to buy all this stuff so easily and legally.
'He had an arsenal and nobody stopped him. With Columbine on everyone's minds it makes you wonder how much has really changed'.
When asked how the investigation had affected him personally, Mr Oates nearly broke down in tears and had to pause to compose himself.
He said: 'Our cops went through a lot. They rushed people out of that theatre into police cars... I've heard some compelling stories...
'One of the things we're working on is how we are going to deal with our own trauma. Somehow in the next couple of days, when this has slowed down, one of our highest priorities is to deal with our own officers'.

Recluse: Holmes went to high school in San Diego, where his parents still live; he is pictured right in his 2005 high school yearbook

Weapons of choice: He had a Colt AR-15 Tactical Carbine and .40 caliber glock handgun (file pictures)

Power: He also had a Remington 870 Marine Magnum (pictured) with him, and another glock in his car

Chief Oates said that last of the bodies were removed from the movie theatre around 5pm on Friday.
Overnight he expected to draw up a final list of those who had died and that he would speak to their families to 'begin the agonising process of meeting with those families and confirming what has happened to their loved ones'.
He has already met 70 relatives who have not been able to account for their loved ones and he said the police 'did the best we could to deal with their grief and anguish'.
Turning to Holmes's apartment, Mr Oates said: 'The pictures are fairly disturbing. It looks very sophisticated.
'It is a very vexing problem how to enter that apartment safely. Personally I've never seen anything like what the pictures show us is in there.
'I see an awful lot of wires, trip wires, jars full of ammunition, jars full of liquid, things that look like mortar rounds. We have a lot of challenges to get in their safely.
Paranoia about Batman screenings has now spread across the U.S. and Mr Oates said that he had received calls from 'colleagues around the country' asking for advice about what to do and whether to put extra security outside cinemas.
Holmes is now in the Arapahoe County jail and will be arraigned on Monday at the Arapahoe District County Court in Centennial, Co.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday at 6.30pm at the Aurora Municipal Center.
Neighbours at university housing in Denver described Holmes as a recluse who kept himself to himself. One student said: 'No one knew him. No one.'
Holmes - who had been working towards his PhD for a year before dropping out - had one techno song blaring from his stereo in the hours before the massacre and left the music on repeat in his booby-trapped apartment as he departed to commit the massacre.
He was also reportedly addicted to videogame Guitar Hero. He grew up with his mother Arlene, 58, dad Robert and 19-year-old brother Chris.
His shocked mother confirmed that he was behind the massacre, telling reporters: 'You've got the right man.'

Despair: A young man grieves during a memorial service for the victims on Friday night

Resilience: Three mourners respond to the tragedy with a show of strength and national pride

Sad: Two girls attending the vigil outside the theatre which was the site of the tragic murders

Speechless: More people grieving at the theatre vigil which drew hundreds on Friday evening

Loss: Four-year-old Myia Young lights a candle for the victims of the senseless attack on innocent cinemagoers

Crowds: In total, thousands of people attended vigils at churches and other sites around Aurora on Friday

A woman holds a candle at a makeshift memorial for victims of the Century 16 movie theatre where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie

Mourners held a light vigil for the victims of multiple shooting in Aurora, Colorado

Mourners held a light vigil for the victims of multiple shooting in Aurora, Colorado. According to reports, The suspect James Holmes allegedly opened fire during the showing of new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises

Flags around the Washington Monument in Washington fly at half-staff early Saturday, July 21, 2012, in tribute to the victims of the deadly mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado

A federal law enforcement official told the Associated Press that Holmes, who some sources said was on Vicodin at the time of the attack, had bought a ticket to the midnight showing and went in to the screen as part of the crowd.
Twelve people died in the horrific attack. The youngest victim is believed to be just 12. Dozens of harrowing stories have emerged from the shooting.

One of the people fleeing described how he tried to shut the door on the suspected gunman.

Twenty-three-year-old Eric Hunter says he and his friends made their way to an exit door after seeing smoke and hearing shots during the movie.

When they opened the door, Hunter says they saw two teenage girls - one of whom had been shot in the mouth.

Hunter says he was about to close the door when he saw the shooter, dressed in a bullet-proof vest and a gas mask, approaching. He held the door closed and the gunman banged on it for about 10 seconds

Afraid that the shooter would start firing through the door, Hunter says he let it go and managed to get out of the theater.

Another couple described how they had been planning to sit by the emergency exit where Holmes entered.

But in a last minute twist of fate Jamie Rohrs and Patricia Legarreta opted instead for a second-floor balcony seat with their four-year-old daughter and four month-old son and saw Holmes burst into the theater.

Source: Holmes is believed to have bought guns from this hunting and fishing store in Denver

Purchase: This outdoors store in Aurora is another place where Holmes is thought to have been a customer

Rohrs - who had been holding their four-month-old child - jumped over the balcony and fled after putting the infant down. But the boy was spotted by Legarreta who grabbed him and their daughter and fled. 

'I threw my daughter on the floor,' she said. 'I just remember thinking my fiance has my son.'

Ms Legaretta suffered shrapnel wounds to her leg but she managed to grab her daughter and four-month-old son. 

Scores of injured victims are now fighting for their lives; the youngest is just three months old, and is said to have been shot at blank point range in the back.
Holmes was arrested in the cinema parking lot where he did not put up any resistance. He told police he had explosives at his North Aurora home, and they closed off the apartment to search.
President Obama made a statement to pass on his condolences to the families and to offer his support to Aurora.
'Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado,' he said.
'Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time.
'We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded.
'As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family.
'Such violence, such evil is senseless. It's beyond reason,' he said. 'But while we never fully know what causes someone to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living.
'What matters, at the end of the day, is not the small things, the trivial things that so often consume us in our daily lives. Ultimately, it's how we choose to treat one another, how we love one another.'

He added that if anything can be taken away from the tragedy, 'it reminds us that life is very fragile'.

Heartbreak: Mr Sullivan embraces family members outside Gateway High School after searching for his son

Survivor: Marcus Weaver shows the wounds he received in his arm during the shooting

Family: Media gather outside the San Diego home of Holmes' parents who said their son is the shooter

Family: Holmes's grandmother, pictured, was seen entering and exiting the family home in San Diego

Moment: The Colorado Rockies fell silent before their game against the San Diego Padres

Mitt Romney added: 'Ann and I are deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence that took the lives of 15 people [sic ]in Colorado and injured dozens more.
'We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.'
The Queen has also sent her 'heartfelt sympathy' to Mr Obama and the people of America.
Christopher Nolan, director of the Batman trilogy, added to the tributes, saying that by targeting a movie theatre the shooter had destroyed an 'innocent and hopeful place'.
'I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community,' Mr Nolan said in a statement. 'I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.
'The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me.'

Mourning: President Obama led a moment of silence for the victims from Florida on Friday morning

An eyewitness video showed a man (left) in a striped shirt leaving the cinema in a daze with blood on his clothing, while other people stood around in confusion, unsure of the horror which had unfolded 

Comfort: Friends gather for a prayer near the theatre where James Holmes allegedly opened fire

Horror: People gather outside the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado at the scene of a mass shooting - a masked gunman shot dead 12 people and wounded 50 others

Grief: A man cries at the Children's Hospital in Aurora. The youngest victim is believed to be three months

Questions: Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates talks outside the mall after the alleged gunman was arrested

Torment: Amanda Medek, centre, weeps outside the cinema as she searches for her missing sister Micayla

WAS DEADLY SHOOTING INSPIRED BY BATMAN COMIC BOOK?

The Dark Knight cinema massacre may have been inspired by a Batman comic book strip, it emerged on Friday.

The bloodbath is a chilling copycat of a 25-year-old Batman comic strip which features a deranged gunman opening fire in a cinema.

In the second issue of The Dark Knight Returns, written by Frank Miller - the creative mind behind Sin City and 300 - gunman Arnold Crimp opens fire in a pornographic theatre, killing three people, after listening to Led Zepplin's classic track 'Stairway to Heaven.'

Text from the page reads: 'Arnold Crimp fingers the cold steel thing in his pocket and stares at the movie marquee and does not throw up.

'He thinks about Led Zeppelin and how they are trying to kill him.

'He had not known about Led Zeppelin until Father Don on TV had explained it last night.

'Father Don said that Led Zeppelin hid a prayer to Satan in their song Stairway to Heaven.

'They hid it very well. They recorded it backwards.

'Arnold Crimp took the album from the record store where he worked until they fired him this afternoon and transferred Stairway to Heaven to tape.

'Then he played the tape backwards. He played it forty-seven times until he was absolutely certain that Father Don was right.'

Crimp then walks into a cinema, which is screening a pornographic film called My Sweet Satan, and opens fire.

Holmes motives behind the massacre are unknown, but if he was a fan of the Batman comics, then he may well have read the issue featuring Crimp's killing-spree.

The comic itself is still in print, and on Friday it was available in several Waterstones' book shops, priced £12.99.

A witness of the terrifying incident later told CNN: 'We heard anywhere from 10 to 20 shots and little explosions going on. Shortly after that we heard people screaming.
'Then they came on PA system and said everyone needed to get out. As soon as we got out, there were people running around and screaming.'
'He looked so calm when he did it,' another witness said. 'It was like scary. He waited for both the bombs to explode before he did anything.
'Then, after both of them exploded, he began to shoot. He had no specific target. He just started letting loose.'
Others said that the shooting was so brutal that bullets went through the walls into the next theatre, where one person was hit.
Police received the first emergency call at 00.39am local time.
Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding in to authorities, officials said.
Cell phone video taken at the cinema by a witness showed crowds of people screaming and fleeing the building, with some with blood on their clothes.
One witness reported seeing a police officer carrying a girl who looked to be nine with gunshot wound to her back. 'She wasn't moving,' the witness said.
Among those killed was Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sportscaster who had recently moved to Colorado from Texas.
She was shot as she watched the film with a male friend, who was injured.
Jessica had escaped another deadly shooting in Toronto on June 2, after a gunman fired in a mall food court, killing one man.
Several others have said there were children at the screening with the youngest victim reported was a three-month-old baby. A six-year-old is also being treated.
Local reporter Justin Jones said: 'The attacker shot a baby at point blank range.'
Another eyewitness, James Cameron, added that the baby girl was shot in the back.

Strength: A small group prays outside Gateway High School where witnesses gave statements to police

Embrace: Eyewitness Jacob Stevens, 18, hugs his mother Tammi Stevens after being interviewed by police

Pain: Witnesses gather outside Gateway High School where they were brought for questioning

Plea: Tom Sullivan holds a photo of his son Alex who was celebrating his 27th birthday by going to the film

Tears: Jacob Stevens, 18, hugs his mother Tammi Stevens after being interviewed by police

Precautions: The Aurora bomb squad robot is deployed to search a suspect's car behind the cinema

KEY U.S. MASS SCALE SHOOTINGS

Virgina Tech, April 2007

Seung-Hui Cho, a student, shot and killed 32 people and inured 15 others at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
He then turned the gun on himself.
Fort Hood, November 2009

Major Nidal Hasan , a U.S. army psychologist, fired at a military base in Fort Hood, Texas. 13 people were killed and 42 others were injured.
Columbine High School, April 1999
Two teenage schoolboys shot and killed 12 schoolmates and a teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, before killing themselves.

Gabrielle Giffords, January 2011

Six people including a nine-year-old girl were killed and 12 others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a public gathering outside a grocery in Tuscon, Arizona.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was at the scene and was severely injured with a gunshot to the head.
Civic centre, April 2009
13 people shot dead by a gunman in Binghamton, New York

Alabama, 2009
While driving a car through towns in Alabama, a 28-year-old redundant worker starting shooting randomly killing 10 people.

Omaha, December 2007
Nine people killed and injured five others in a shopping center in Omaha, Nebraska after a 20-year-old man started shooting
Northern Illinois University, February 2008
Five students killed and 16 injured after a man opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. At the end of the shooting spree he surrendered, laying down his weapon

Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he was inside when he heard several shots. He said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door, but then he saw 'people hunched over leaving theatre.' 
The gunman was arrested without incident in a car park nearby and told the police that explosives were stored at his home. He remains in police custody.
Police chief Dan Oates told reporters that an apartment block in the north of Aurora had been evacuated as a consequence of the man's claims his apartment had explosives.
They found the suspect's apartment rigged with tripwires tied to bottles of unknown substances. 'It's not something I've ever been before,' Oates told an early-afternoon press conference.
Around 6.40 a.m. local time, there were a reports of an explosion at the apartment.
Police said that another handgun was found left in the cinema but there was no evidence of any other attackers.
They added there was no immediate knowledge of the motive.
The FBI say they are working with local police. They say it is still early in the investigation, but that there is no terrorism link so far. The car park of the mall remains closed off.
Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson said: 'The scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time.'
Hospitals reported shrapnel injuries and Denver University hospital reported it was treating three people for 'chemical exposure'.
With ambulances rushing to the hospitals, some chose to get to the nearest medical facility by foot.
Mitt Romney said today: 'This is a time for each of us to look into our hearts and remember how much we love each other. Our hearts break for the victims and their families.'
Brenda Stuart, of 850 KOA Radio, said: 'Police are taking people to hospital in their own cars, not waiting for ambulances to arrive.
'There were chaotic scenes as people desperately tried to flee.'

Break through: Police use a video camera to look inside the suspect's apartment for explosives

Swoop: Aurora Police officers are pictured outside the building where Holmes is believed to live

Investigation: Neighbours reported hearing an explosion in the building early on Friday morning

Crime scene: Investigators at the Century 16 movie theatre where the gunmen attacked movie goers

Fraught: FBI officers, Aurora police officers, and fire crews outside the suspect's apartment building

The suspect had no history with police apart from a traffic ticket, police reported.
In New York, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly released a statement saying: 'As a precaution against copycats and to raise the comfort levels among movie patrons in the wake of the horrendous shooting in Colorado, the New York City Police Department is providing coverage at theaters where the 'The Dark Knight Rises' is playing in the five boroughs.'
It has also been reported a screening of the film in Paris, France, has been cancelled.
'All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.' Holmes is expected to appear in court on Monday morning at 9.30.
Aurora is located on the outskirts of Denver, about 10 miles southeast of downtown.
It is the worst mass shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Fifteen died, including the shooters.
Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at the school in the Denver suburb of Littleton, about 15 miles west of Aurora, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school's library.

Crime scene: Police officers took witness statements. The 6ft tall man, dressed in black and wearing a gas mask opened fire at the showing of The Dark Knight Rises and set off a smoke or tear gas bomb

Anxious: Film-goers wait nervously across the street as Aurora Police strung crime scene tape around the parking lot encircling the movie theatre

Christian Bale, left,  as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises and Tom Hardy as Bane. There were suggestions that the gunman was influenced by Bane, a character in the film which wears a dark mask covering his face

Scene: A map shows the movie theatre and the location of the gunman's home in North Aurora

AUDIO: 911. Minute-by-minute audio of the police response to the shootings

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