'Dark Knight Rises' midnight screenings should've been a joyous time for anxious fans to finally see the last installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy for the first time. Instead, a screening turned tragic in Aurora, Colorado when a gunman entered a packed theater and opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 50.

According to the Denver Post, at around 12:30am they received numerous calls of a shooting at the Century 16 in Aurora. The suspect, later identified as 24-year-old James Holmes, had walked to the front of the packed theater, threw two tear gas canisters into the crowd and began shooting with both a rifle and a handgun.

The suspect was apprehended without incident in the theater parking lot and he warned local officials that his apartment contained multiple explosives. Local police blocked off and evacuated a three-block radius around Holmes' apartment while the bomb squad searched his residence.

Aurora police spokesperson Cassidee Carlson said, ""the scene is still very active and we have little information for release at this time."

Officials at the Children's Hospital of Colorado said that the victims ranged in age from 6 to 31.

President Obama issued a statement saying he is "shocked and saddened" by the shooting and pledged to do everything he can to help the local community.

Warner Bros. has cancelled all press activities for the film, including tonight's Paris premiere, saying "Warner Bros. is 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."

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