Map locates Aurora, Colorado, where a gunman opened fire at a movie theater killing at least 14 people.
AURORA, CO – JULY 20: The Century 16 movie theatre is seen where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. According to reports, over 10 people have been killed and over 30 injured. Police have the suspect, twenty-four year old James Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Photo by Thomas Cooper/Getty Images)
AURORA, CO – JULY 20: People are interviewed at the Century 16 movie theatre where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. According to reports, over 10 people have been killed and over 30 injured. Police have the suspect, twenty-four year old James Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Photo by Thomas Cooper/Getty Images)
AURORA, CO – JULY 20: Police are on the scene at the Century 16 movie theatre where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. According to reports, over 10 people have been killed and over 30 injured. Police have the suspect, twenty-four year old James Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Photo by Thomas Cooper/Getty Images)
Judy Goos, center left, hugs her daughter’s friend, Isaiah Bow, 20, while eyewitnesses Emma Goos, 19, left, and Terrell Wallin, 20, right, gather outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning Friday, July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colo. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into a crowded movie theater at a midnight opening of the Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)
Eyewitness Chandler Brannon, 25, sits outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning after a shooting at a movie theater showing the Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” Friday, July 20, 2012 in Aurora. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into the crowded movie theater killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)
People use mobile devices as they wait outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning after a shooting at a movie theater showing the Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” Friday, July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colo. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into the crowded movie theater killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)
Eyewitness Jacob Stevens, 18, hugs his mother Tammi Stevens after being interview by police outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning Friday, July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colo. A gunman wearing a gas mask set off an unknown gas and fired into the crowded movie theater killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 others, authorities said. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, RJ Sangosti)
AURORA, CO – JULY 20: Police break the window of the apartment of of James Holmes, the suspect of a shooting in a movie theater July 20, 2012 in Aurora, outside of Denver, Colorado. According to reports, 12 people have been killed and at least 38 wounded when James allegedly opened fire inside the a movie theater showing the ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ Police have James, 24, of Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Photo by Thomas Cooper/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama walks down the steps after speaking about the Aurora, Colo., shooting at an event at the Harborside Event Center in Ft. Myers, Fla., Friday, July 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
BOW, NH – JULY 20: Repubican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pauses as he delivers remarks regarding the shooting in Colorado movie theatre July 20, 2012 in Bow, New Hampshire. Romney cancelled campaign events for the day in the wake of a shooting that killed 12 and injured over 30 people at a Colorado movie theater showing the ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
One confirmed victim, aspiring sportscaster Jessica Ghawi, had been tweeting about seeing the film just moments before a gunman opened fire. (Facebook photos)
Alleged shooter James Holmes is pictured in a college photo from the University of Denver (left) and a yearbook photo from his high school in San Diego (right).
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Police are holding a former doctoral student who they say barged into a crowded movie theater near Denver last night, hurled a gas canister and then opened fire.
Twelve people were killed and at least 50 others were hurt in one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent U.S. history.
The suspect is identified as 24-year-old James Holmes. A spokeswoman for the University of Colorado-Denver says Holmes had been studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program but was in the process of withdrawing.
Officials say they haven’t found any links to terrorist groups.
The gunfire broke out near the start of a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Some in the crowd thought it was a stunt at first.
One woman who was in the theater says she felt bullet casings falling on her head, burning her forehead. She says the shooter fired steadily, except when he stopped to reload.
A federal law enforcement official says the shooter had an assault rifle, a shotgun and two pistols.
Authorities are now searching his apartment, a few miles from the theater. They say they found it to be booby-trapped. They’ve evacuated five buildings as they try to determine how to disarm flammable and explosive material.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
