UPDATE 7/23/12 @ 1:30 p.m.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes was wide-eyed, frowning and unshaven Monday as he made his first court appearance handcuffed with reddish orange hair.

He showed little emotion as he sat staring down. At one point, he closed his eyes as a judge spoke.

District attorney Carol Chambers provided no information on whether Holmes was on medication.

She said it will be months before a decision is made on whether to seek the death penalty.

Holmes appeared after being accused of the shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 people and injured 58 others.

The judge says he will be formally charged next Monday.

Authorities say the 24-year-old former graduate student is refusing to cooperate and it could take months to learn what prompted the horrific attack.

Video of the hearing was streamed live on the Internet and television but there were problems with the audio feed,

The father of one the shooting victim’s sat staring at Holmes during his first court appearance.

Tom Teves sat in the front row Monday as a judge advised Holmes of the allegations against him. His son Alex Teves was killed in the shooting..

Two women held hands tightly, one shaking her head.

Holmes showed little emotion during the hearing, which appeared to anger some family members of victims who attended.

David Sanchez, who waited outside the courthouse during Holmes' hearing, said his pregnant daughter escaped uninjured but her husband was shot in the head and was in critical condition. His daughter was delivering their baby on Monday.

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UPDATE @ 9:45 p.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- Police in Colorado say they will start meeting with the families of shooting victims to tell them the fate of their loved ones.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Coates says the last of the 10 deceased victims from the midnight showing of a Batman movie was removed from the theater Friday afternoon.

Coates says officers expect to get a confirmed list of the deceased and meet with their families Friday night.

In addition to the 10 people who died at the theater, two others later died from their injuries. Coates says there are 70 victims but not all were shot. Eleven are in critical condition.

The chief says suspect John Holmes purchased four guns at local gun shops and 6,000 rounds of ammunition through the Internet.

Holmes was in custody Friday.

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UPDATE @ 4:50 p.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- The suspect in a shooting that killed or wounded 71 people in suburban Denver is reportedly not talking to investigators.

A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that 24-year-old James Holmes has asked for a lawyer.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing case.

The person also says police found jars of chemicals in Holmes' booby trapped Aurora apartment with wires nearby.

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UPDATE @ 1:50 p.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- A graduate student in a gas mask barged into a crowded Denver-area theater during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie Friday, hurled a gas canister and then opened fire, killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others in one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent U.S. history.

When the smoke began to spread, some moviegoers thought it was a stunt that was part of the "The Dark Knight Rises," one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer. They saw a silhouette of a person in the haze near the screen, pointing a gun at the crowd and then shooting.

"There were bullet (casings) just falling on my head. They were burning my forehead," Jennifer Seeger said, adding that the gunman, dressed like a SWAT team member, fired steadily, stopping only to reload. "Every few seconds it was just: Boom, boom, boom," she said. "He would reload and shoot and anyone who would try to leave would just get killed."

The suspect was taken into custody near a car behind the theater and was identified by federal law enforcement officials as 24-year-old James Holmes. Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver, university spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said. Holmes enrolled a year ago and was in the process of withdrawing at the time of the shootings, Montgomery said.

Authorities gave no motive for the attack. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups.

Holmes had an assault rifle, a shotgun and two pistols, a federal law enforcement official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was still unfolding. FBI agents and police used a hook and ladder fire truck to reach Holmes' apartment in Aurora, police Chief Dan Oates said. They put a camera at the end of a 12-foot pole inside the apartment and discovered the unit was booby-trapped.

Authorities evacuated five buildings as they tried to figure how to disarm the flammable and explosive material.

At least 24 people were being treated at Denver-area hospitals, some of them for chemical exposure apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman. Some of those hurt were children, including a 4-month-old baby, who was treated a hospital and released.

Police released a statement from Holmes' family: "Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved."

The movie opened across the world Friday with midnight showings in the U.S. The shooting prompted officials to cancel the red-carpet premiere in Paris, with workers pulling down the display at a theater on the Champs-Elysees. Around the U.S., police and some movie theaters stepped up security for daytime showings of the movie, though many fans waiting in line said they were not worried about their safety.

President Barack Obama said he was saddened by the "horrific and tragic shooting," pledging that his administration was "committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded."

It was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. since the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas. An Army psychiatrist was charged with killing 13 soldiers and civilians and wounding more than two dozen others.

In Colorado, it was the deadliest since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when two students opened fire in the Denver suburb of Littleton, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves. Columbine High is about 12 miles from the theater.

Friday's attack began shortly after midnight at the multiplex theater. The film has several scenes of public mayhem -- a hallmark of superhero movies. In one scene, the main villain Bane leads an attack on the stock exchange and, in another, leads a shooting and bombing rampage on a packed football stadium.

The gunman released a gas that smelled like pepper spray from a green canister, Seeger said. "I thought it was showmanship. I didn't think it was real," she said.

Seeger said she was in the second row, about four feet from the gunman, when he pointed a gun at her face. At first, "I was just a deer in headlights. I didn't know what to do," she said. Then she ducked to the ground as the gunman shot people seated behind her. She said she began crawling toward an exit when she saw a girl of about 14 "lying lifeless on the stairs." She saw a man with a bullet wound in his back and tried to check his pulse, but "I had to go. I was going to get shot."

Witness Shayla Roeder said she saw a teenage girl on the ground bleeding outside the theater. "She just had this horrible look in her eyes. .... We made eye contact and I could tell she was not all right," Roeder said.

Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard. Officers came running in and telling people to leave the theater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.

Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he 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."

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UPDATE 11 a.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- Police say the apartment of the suspect in a mass shooting at a Denver area movie theater is booby trapped, so they've evacuated five surrounding buildings.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates says bomb technicians are determining how to disarm flammable or explosive material in the third-floor apartment. He says police could be there some time.

Oates says pictures from inside the apartment are fairly disturbing and the devices look to be sophisticated.

FBI agents and police used a hook and ladder fire truck and put a camera at the end of 12-foot pole inside the apartment where 24-year-old James Holmes lives.

The apartment is about four miles from the theater where at least 12 people were killed and 50 were wounded.

Investigates say that Holmes had an assault rifle, a shotgun and two pistols on him when he opened fire in the crowded theater. They also say he was wearing a gas mask.

President Barack Obama says the shooting is a reminder that life is fragile. He says the event "reminds us of all the ways that we are united as one American family."

In Florida for a campaign swing, Obama asked for a moment of silence Friday and focused his shortened remarks exclusively on the tragedy.

Obama said the shooting underscores how "our time here is limited and it is precious." He said Friday should be devoted to prayer and reflection.

Friday's attack began shortly after midnight at the multiplex theater at a mall in Aurora, the state's third-largest city.

The film has several scenes of public mayhem - a hallmark of superhero movies. In one scene, the main villain Bane leads an attack on the stock exchange and, in another, leads a shooting and bombing rampage on a packed football stadium.

It was the final installment of the "Dark Knight" trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale as Batman. The series has a darker tone than previous Batman incarnations. It is the follow-up to "The Dark Knight," which won Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his searing portrayal of The Joker.

The gunman released a gas that smelled like pepper spray from a green canister with a tag on it, witness Jennifer Seeger said.

"I thought it was showmanship. I didn't think it was real," she said.

Seeger said she was in the second row, about four feet from the gunman, when he pointed a gun at her face. At first, "I was just a deer in headlights. I didn't know what to do," she said. Then she ducked to the ground as the gunman shot people seated behind her.

She said she began crawling toward an exit when she saw a girl about 14 years old "lying lifeless on the stairs." She saw a man with a bullet wound in his back and tried to check his pulse, but "I had to go. I was going to get shot."

Witness Shayla Roeder said she saw a young teenage girl on the ground bleeding outside the theater. "She just had this horrible look in her eyes .... We made eye contact and I could tell she was not all right," Roeder said.

Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said. Officers came running in and telling people to leave the theater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.

Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he 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."

Officers later found the gunman near a car behind the theater.

Police found a gas mask, rifle, handgun and at least one additional weapon inside, Oates said, adding that there was no evidence of any other attackers. The suspect spoke of "possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat," Oates said.

A large truck lettered "bomb squad" arrived near an Aurora apartment complex where the suspect is believed to have lived, about four miles from the theater. Dozens of police squad cars, vans and other vehicles were already at the scene, along with black-clad officers carrying automatic weapons.

Police evacuated residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found. He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and at the Century 16 theater and secured those areas.

At least 24 people were being treated at Denver area hospitals.

"Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time," the studio said.

Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver graduate school.

University officials said Holmes enrolled in the program in June 2011 and was in the process of withdrawing.

Holmes graduated from high school in the San Diego area.

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UPDATE 9:15 a.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- At least 12 people were killed and 50 were being treated at Denver area hospitals after a shooting at a midnight showing of Batman, the youngest a 3-month-old baby.

Twelve people were taken to the Medical Center of Aurora with gunshot wounds and ranged from minor to critical condition.

Three were treated for chemical exposure, most likely from tear gas. They ranged in age from 16 to 31.

Denver Health had seven victims - one in critical and the rest in fair condition. The University of Colorado hospital was treating 21 people, including the baby, for gunshot wounds. The oldest is 45. A 6-year-old was being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims ranging were taken. The oldest patient there is 31. Their condition wasn't known.

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UPDATE 7/20/12 @ 8:30 a.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into a crowded movie theater in suburban Denver at a midnight opening of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said.

Federal law enforcement officials say the suspect is 24-year-old James Holmes.

Holmes is in police custody, and the FBI says there is no indication that incident is tied to any terrorist groups.

Moviegoers didn't know what was happening and some thought the attack was part of the show. Then they saw a silhouette of a person in the smoke at the front of the theater near the screen, pointing a gun at the crowd.

"I told my friend 'we've got to get out of here,' but then he shot people trying to go out the exits," Jennifer Seeger told NBC's "Today." She said the shooter made his way up the aisle, firing as he went, saying nothing.

Some of those injured are children, including a 3-month-old infant who was shot.

Police earlier said 14 people were dead, but later revised the number to at least 12. It was not immediately clear for the reason for the revision.

Witness Shayla Roeder said she saw a young teenage girl on the ground bleeding outside the theater.

"She just had this horrible look in her eyes .... We made eye contact and I could tell she was not all right," Roeder said.

Victims are being treated for chemical exposure apparently related to canisters thrown by the gunman. The shooter, a man in his 20s, was arrested shortly after the attack at 12:30 a.m. MDT at the multiplex theater at a mall in Aurora.

FBI spokesman Jason Pack said there's no indication so far of any connection to terror groups.

It was the worst mass shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. 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.

Aurora police spokesman Frank Fania said he didn't know yet if all the injuries were gunshot wounds. He said some might have been caused by other things such as shrapnel. Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said.

Officers came running in and telling people to leave the heater, Salina Jordan told the Denver Post. She said some police were carrying and dragging bodies.

Officers later found the gunman near a car behind the theater. "A gas mask, rifle, handgun at least one additional weapon (were) found inside," he said.

There was also no immediate word of any motive.

The suspect spoke of "possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat," Oates said. A large truck lettered "bomb squad" arrived near an Aurora apartment complex where the suspect is believed to have lived, about four miles from the theater. Dozens of police squad cars, vans and other vehicles were already at the scene, along with black-clad officers carrying automatic weapons.

Police evacuated residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found. He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and at the Century 16 theater and secured those areas.

President Barack Obama said he was saddened by the "horrific and tragic shooting," pledging that his administration was "committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded."

Moviegoers spoke of their terror as violence erupted and people around them fell victim. Benjamin Fernandez, 30, told the Post that he heard a series of explosions. He said that people ran from the theater and there were gunshots as police shouted "get down!" Fernandez said he saw people falling, including one young girl.

Jordan told the paper that one girl was struck in cheek, others in stomach including a girl who looked to be around 9-years-old. Jordan said it sounded like firecrackers until someone ran into Theater 8 yelling "they're shooting out here!"

Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he 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."

The police chief said 10 victims died at the theater and four at area hospitals. At least 24 people were being treated at Denver area hospitals.

KUSA reported that some hospitalized victims were being treated for chemical exposure, related apparently to canister thrown by gunman. Eleven people were being treated at the Medical Center of Aurora for gunshots and ranged from minor to critical condition. Two others walked in to be treated for tear gas contamination. Denver Health had seven victims -- one in critical and the rest in fair condition.

The youngest victim reported was a 6-year-old being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where a total of six victims were taken. Their condition wasn't known. Two people in critical condition were rushed to nearby Swedish Medical Center, spokeswoman Nicole Williams said.

Aurora is on Denver's east side and is Colorado's third-largest city with 327,000 residents. It is home to a large Defense Department satellite intelligence operation at Buckley Air Force Base, as well as The Children's Hospital, the University of Colorado Hospital and a future Veterans Affairs hospital.

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ORIGINAL STORY 7/20/12 @ 6:05 a.m.
AURORA, Colo. (AP/NBC) -- Police say 14 people are dead and about 50 wounded in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

The theater near Denver was showing the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" when the shooting happened.

Police Chief Dan Oates says one person is in custody, and he says police are checking the area for explosives.

Police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson says "The scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time."

Swedish Medical Center spokeswoman Nicole Williams says several people injured at the theater have arrived at the hospital in critical condition.

Brenda Stuart, of 850 KOA radio, told Sky News that "a lot of people thought the gunshots were part of the movie."

"They heard what they thought were firecrackers," she added, citing witnesses. "Then they saw the bullets flying."

Eyewitness reports said the assailant may have been wearing a gas mask, Stuart said.

Tear gas went off in the theater following the gunfire, Stuart said. She added that bullets had passed from one theater into an adjoining one.

The Denver Post quoted witness, Bejamin Fernandez, 30, as saying that people ran from the theater as shots rang out and police shouted "get down!"

Fernandez told the Post that he saw people falling, including one young girl.

Salina Jordan, 19, who was in Theater 8, told the Post she saw one girl struck in the cheek and others in the stomach, including a girl who looked to be around 9 years old.

Jordan told the Post that someone ran into her theater yelling, "They're shooting out here!" An alarm came on, Jordan said, announcing there was a "murder in the theater."

Jordan told the newspaper she saw police carrying bodies out of the theater as well as officers opening fire.

KUSA cited a witness as seeing a black-clad 6-foot-tall man wearing a riot helmet, goggles and bullet-proof vest kick through the door. The witness and her boyfriend crawled to the emergency exit, KUSA said.

"The Dark Knight Rises," starring Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, is the latest in the popular Batman action movie franchise. Friday was its international premier.