Gunfire during Dark Night Rises

[Heartland Patriot]

Aurora Movie Massacre: July 20, 2012. James Eagan Holmes was the killer. 12 people were murdered. 58 injured. Under 25 years of age. Bought the guns locally shortly before the shooting. Described as a loner with no friends, parents knew it was their son. Gun free zone.
Did I miss any mass shootings in the US? There was one in was it Utah at a mall? In all cases there was a political call to ban guns. Notice any similarities.

What made the movie theater a 'gun free' zone? I find no reference to it.

Technically, by Colorado law, it seems that the theater wasn't a "gun free zone". However, it also seems that they had a "no guns policy" with some sort of signs to state this. Many folks on here, even if a place doesn't have actual 30.06 posted, only a "gunbuster" sign, say they still won't go in...either worried about the risks involved OR "those anti-gun folks ain't getting my money". So the INTENT of the movie theater chain was to be a GFZ. Add that to the area being a more liberal area (from what I hear) and Colorado having a lower number of CHLers in general...it all adds up to not a lot of worry for the killer...I think his body armor was for the police.

[Hoosier Daddy]

What made the movie theater a 'gun free' zone? I find no reference to it.

Technically, by Colorado law, it seems that the theater wasn't a "gun free zone". However, it also seems that they had a "no guns policy" with some sort of signs to state this. Many folks on here, even if a place doesn't have actual 30.06 posted, only a "gunbuster" sign, say they still won't go in...either worried about the risks involved OR "those anti-gun folks ain't getting my money". So the INTENT of the movie theater chain was to be a GFZ.

I think those signs are enforceable in Colorado because they don't have a 30.06 equivalent.

[stealthfightrf17]

Just heard on TV from CNN
They interveiwed two teens at another theater that has metal detectors, the teens said they made them feel safer. Did I miss something here, or did he break in an emergancy exit. Are people really this blind to things. Need to stop my rant for forum rule reasons.

[Dave2]

Did I miss something here, or did he break in an emergancy exit. Are people really this blind to things.

No, you didn't, and yes, they are.

[Keith B]

What made the movie theater a 'gun free' zone? I find no reference to it.

Technically, by Colorado law, it seems that the theater wasn't a "gun free zone". However, it also seems that they had a "no guns policy" with some sort of signs to state this. Many folks on here, even if a place doesn't have actual 30.06 posted, only a "gunbuster" sign, say they still won't go in...either worried about the risks involved OR "those anti-gun folks ain't getting my money". So the INTENT of the movie theater chain was to be a GFZ.

I think those signs are enforceable in Colorado because they don't have a 30.06 equivalent.

Nope, see my post a few back. And, an unenforceable sign does not make it a gun free zone, whether the owner wants it to be or not.

[Keith B]

Just heard on TV from CNN
They interveiwed two teens at another theater that has metal detectors, the teens said they made them feel safer. Did I miss something here, or did he break in an emergancy exit. Are people really this blind to things. Need to stop my rant for forum rule reasons.

That was the initial report, but now they say he 'came in costume' and apparently had the guns hidden. He bought a ticket and pretended to take a cell phone call, moved toward the exit door, then turned around and threw the tear gas/smoke canister and started his spree.

[dcfis]

OK, we all know the huge reaction this will cause locally. It is precisely crowded, unprotected gatherings like this that need chl holders. I don't know if its been discussed but against a suited up psycho like this, there are limited options for even chl holders but that is beside the point. The detectors, ignorance and or no gun signage that will of course become more prominent will of course leave everyone else even MORE vulnerable and these events MORE likely to happen. Too bad. My concern is with gatherings, theaters, events, ect that will of course hire more screeners,uninformed, lowest common denominator security, portable metal detectors, ect and the overreaction, ignorance and stigma against chl holders this will create. I have a feeling this will lead to most good people staying home or being stripped of carry. Either way its a sad state of affairs.

[Heartland Patriot]

What made the movie theater a 'gun free' zone? I find no reference to it.

Technically, by Colorado law, it seems that the theater wasn't a "gun free zone". However, it also seems that they had a "no guns policy" with some sort of signs to state this. Many folks on here, even if a place doesn't have actual 30.06 posted, only a "gunbuster" sign, say they still won't go in...either worried about the risks involved OR "those anti-gun folks ain't getting my money". So the INTENT of the movie theater chain was to be a GFZ.

I think those signs are enforceable in Colorado because they don't have a 30.06 equivalent.

Nope, see my post a few back. And, an unenforceable sign does not make it a gun free zone, whether the owner wants it to be or not.

KeithB, I got the impression that even if it weren't an actual, legally enforceable gun-free zone, that de facto it was pretty close to one. That's what I was getting at.

[Heartland Patriot]

OK, we all know the huge reaction this will cause locally. It is precisely crowded, unprotected gatherings like this that need chl holders. I don't know if its been discussed but against a suited up psycho like this, there are limited options for even chl holders but that is beside the point. The detectors, ignorance and or no gun signage that will of course become more prominent will of course leave everyone else even MORE vulnerable and these events MORE likely to happen. Too bad. My concern is with gatherings, theaters, events, ect that will of course hire more screeners,uninformed, lowest common denominator security, portable metal detectors, ect and the overreaction, ignorance and stigma against chl holders this will create. I have a feeling this will lead to most good people staying home or being stripped of carry. Either way its a sad state of affairs.

All this makes me want to do is NOT go to any of those sorts of places, like you said. There is indeed a ripple effect.

[JJVP]

Will Smith take on Colorado tragedy. Surprising coming from a Hollywood actor.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/ ... o-tragedy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Steve133]

This one hits closer to home than a lot of other spree shootings I've seen on the news, for some reason. I guess I've always been able to find some sort of twisted logic in the choice of target before, but this just seems almost completely random. Really reinforces the idea that there's a very, very small, but nonzero, probability of a shooter targeting any event or location.

Even considering the time zone difference, I was probably sitting in a Cinemark theater watching the exact same movie when this happened. I wasn't carrying, primarily because I came straight from work (I can't carry or have a weapon in the car there - it's a federal facility). Actually, even if I hadn't, it's about a 50/50 chance that I would've been carrying; I've gotten pretty complacent about it, both because my work situation makes it inconvenient, and because it's something that I still haven't completely "gotten used to," which makes me pretty self-conscious and even a little uncomfortable when I do carry. Even a non-30.06 sign is enough to dissuade me, and I don't usually go to the trouble to find a non-posted alternative. I guess it's time to get over that.

I agree with those who have made the point that, from a tactical perspective, this one was pretty much a Kobayashi Maru scenario. It would be pointless to try to speculate about what I would have done in that situation without knowing exactly what happened, but at least having a weapon with me wouldn't have hurt. Even if my plan was to just hit the dirt and crawl to an exit, having something to fight back with if the guy happened to stumble across me while I was doing so doesn't seem to have a downside. Since he was all kitted out in kevlar, it might not have made a difference in the outcome for me, but that gear doesn't make you magically invulnerable, and the loss of breath/bruises/possible cracked ribs might have at least slowed him down enough for a few more people to make it out. Kind of a depressing train of thought, but true.

[Heartland Patriot]

Will Smith take on Colorado tragedy. Surprising coming from a Hollywood actor.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/ ... o-tragedy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, I guess not EVERYONE has been brainwashed. Good for him.

[Right2Carry]

Just heard on TV from CNN
They interveiwed two teens at another theater that has metal detectors, the teens said they made them feel safer. Did I miss something here, or did he break in an emergancy exit. Are people really this blind to things. Need to stop my rant for forum rule reasons.

That was the initial report, but now they say he 'came in costume' and apparently had the guns hidden. He bought a ticket and pretended to take a cell phone call, moved toward the exit door, then turned around and threw the tear gas/smoke canister and started his spree.

That's not what witnesses have reported who were in the front row when he entered through the exit door.

[Steve133]

Will Smith take on Colorado tragedy. Surprising coming from a Hollywood actor.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/ ... o-tragedy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was completely shocked when I realized that he's actually quite a talented actor.

I'm now equally shocked that he's willing to break with the normal Hollywood ideological lockstep. Good for him.

[dcfis]

Will Smith take on Colorado tragedy. Surprising coming from a Hollywood actor.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/ ... o-tragedy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was completely shocked when I realized that he's actually quite a talented actor.

I'm now equally shocked that he's willing to break with the normal Hollywood ideological lockstep. Good for him.

Yea, its amazing when someone uses common logic and not some canned spam they feel like they must eat.