The Theater and the Shooting

[rollinginit]

Exit door alarms are not common. A good article that explains the exit doors/laws about them (fire code)

AURORA — A $70 alarm on the exit door in theater 9 might have prevented a mass shooting at the Century Aurora 16 multiplex.

But in today's world of the multiplex, moving large crowds in and out of the building efficiently is paramount, and those exit doors play a key role in clearing a theater quickly.

Doors leading from a theater auditorium to the outside, such as the one police say was utilized by James Eagan Holmes to slip in and kill 12 and injure 58, are not only common at most multiplex theaters worldwide but are also required by most fire codes. And while there is neither prohibition against putting alarms on them nor requirement to do so, many theater chains eschew them and instead hope some patrons exit that way to clear the room quickly and prepare for the next showing

http://www.denverpost.com/investiga...ora-theater-shooting-exit-door-alarms-are-not

 

[Liz]

Exactly and that's why I'm still on the fence regarding his mental stability. The theatre as the chosen crime scene by the suspect, imo, shows premeditated and extreme indifference to human life.

He probably had no motive. He just wanted people to die and didn't care who. Men, women and children. No demographics either. He didn't care if they were black, white or other. If they were moms, dads, students, teachers, military, cops, etc.

Bringing this post over from the other thread. Your post reminded me of something that I'd be wondering about. I'd read that a lot of the movie-goers that night were dressed up in various costumes - Batman, Catwoman, Robin, etc.

As I recall, one of the murdered male victims had arrived at the theater very early, along with his girlfriend. Upon seeing that many people were dressed up in costumes, they left to go buy costumes. I'm curious to know if JH was aiming more for the people in costumes. Or, if aiming for anyone specifically was out of the picture (no pun intended), due to the poor lighting.

I don't recall seeing any tv reports mentioning people in costume; only in print articles.

Would love to read more input on this, if anyone has any.

 

[shadowraiths]

​

The police apprehended Mr. Holmes outside the theater minutes after the shooting, still wearing the body armor. He had four guns with him. A law enforcement official said he also had tablets of Vicodin, a painkiller, in his possession.

Chief Daniel Oates of the Aurora police praised the arresting officers on the CBS program “Face the Nation” for noticing that Mr. Holmes’ gear was not quite like that of the other S.W.A.T. officers or he might well have escaped, mistaken for one of the responders.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/u...ghted-by-aurora-shootings.html?pagewanted=all

NB: Pics from Business Insider

 

[HastingsChi]

Exit door alarms are not common. A good article that explains the exit doors/laws about them (fire code)


http://www.denverpost.com/investiga...ora-theater-shooting-exit-door-alarms-are-not

Rollinginit : thanks for sharing this article; it's interesting that the article doesn't have any insight from former employees of the Century Aurora 16 who would likely know if the exit doors were alarmed for either fire/emergency or to alert management/security that people are potentially sneaking in without paying. As the Century Aurora 16 was built in 1998 I'd hope that it's theatres include some sort of alert to deter ticketless movie goers at the very least...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II

 

[DeadCat]

​

I just always assumed these pictures were taken after police had made him remove all his gear.​

 

[HastingsChi]

I just always assumed these pictures were taken after police had made him remove all his gear.

I guess it depends on if you believe one of the two stories Chief Oates gave about the details of Holmes' apprehension or believe the recorded LE radio traffic which presents a completely different version or believe the statements of witnesses which, you guessed it, present a completely different version of Holmes' apprehension....

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II

 

[February]

rollinginit

Thank you for all these quotes/links... really good stuff you brought in.

Ived read one article, could be a rumor , but if you can also check regarding a possible second suspect entering the aurora mall

 

[February]

http://www.freedomslips.com/aurora/police_transcript.htm

Radio Audio and Transcript of the audio..

 

[February]

On that radio and transcript - check some of these :

01:06:14 16 I need a marked car behind the theater stable side,suspect in a gas mask. 01:06:22

01:09:58 one of the shooters might be wearing a white and blue plaid shirt 01:10:03

1:36:20 DUI hit and run arrest at mall at shooting crime scene, no name or tag given by Colorado highway patrol

17:40 Rifle 5.56 caliber
24:30 "Tac 16, 21, one of the construction workers said somebody just came out of parking lot male red backpack headed towards Alameda."
24:50 "We have a male dressed in black with red backpack going towards north east."
25:00 Dispatcher says 2 suspects, 1 dressed in black plus 1 with red backpack

30:31 Police Aurora Any unit. Unknown problem. 1690 South Moline st., 1690 South Moline st. We have a report of an unknown problem, at least three people dragging a person into an unknown description vehicle and last seen northbound on the street.

40:40 "We have witnesses who left who say they did see the shooter who have blood spatter on them who are not injured. What do you want us to do with those people?"

57:00 "I had another witness say green camoflage pants." Stop all radio communications, unable to figure out how to patch radio channels together

58:20 "Open door at mall." Bring dogs to search mall.

 

[rollinginit]

I just always assumed these pictures were taken after police had made him remove all his gear.

One thing I notice about that picture.......that gear is NOT by his car. So if the cops caught him by his car, they must have moved away from the car. But why make him remove his clothes there? I'm sure they searched him good...but do cops normally make a person take stuff off?

I read some people say that some of the equipment may have been the cops. I don't think cops take their equipment off?????????? Doesn't all their equipment clip somewhere on their clothes?

 

[~n/t~]

NB: Pics from Business Insider

Is that the exit door of the movie theatre? Why is there what appears to be a blood trail from the opposite side? :waitasec:

 

[~n/t~]

I just always assumed these pictures were taken after police had made him remove all his gear.

I thought so too but it just doesn't add up. Look at how the clothes are scattered all over the place. Maybe JH removed them but then again, LE said they recognized the suspect by the SWAT clothes that weren't really SWAT. :waitasec:

 

[21merc7]

The trail is where the exit door is. I *think* the wooden door is where the dumpster or central air units are.

 

[~n/t~]

The trail is where the exit door is. I *think* the wooden door is where the dumpster or central air units are.

Thanks. So why would his clothes be there and not by his vehicle or the blood trail area? Was he trying to dispose of his clothing in the dumpster? Why is that door open? Who opened it?

 

[~n/t~]

Perhaps LE told him to remove his clothing because he may have had a bomb strapped to his body? That would make sense.

 

[21merc7]

Thanks. So why would his clothes be there and not by his vehicle or the blood trail area? Was he trying to dispose of his clothing in the dumpster? Why is that door open? Who opened it?

I've wondered that since we first saw the pics.

Don't know if he started taking them off, or if LE made him move away from the car and remove the gear to see if he had more firearms or wired with explosives???

 

[21merc7]

Interesting his car is by an exit door. He had a clear plan.

 

[~n/t~]

Interesting his car is by an exit door. He had a clear plan.

But not the "exit" door, right? The exit door is on the opposite side where the blood trails is. Still wonder who opened that door.

 

[21merc7]

But not the "exit" door, right? The exit door is on the opposite side where the blood trails is. Still wonder who opened that door.

I dunno' on either question.

 

[rollinginit]

Why did the car have TN plates? From CA to CO.....TN is a long way off from either state.

I know there are small pink sandals by that door along with a large gun. I assume the police ran out that door with people after JH was caught??? IMO, maybe that is where the bloody footprints came from.

I don't know if I can see the police removing his clothes there unless they suspected a bomb on him or something. Wasn't there a 911 transmission about a exploding device being found in his car???