Tragedy in Aurora, Colorado

One of the 12 victims that James Holmes killed at Century 16 Theatres in Aurora, Colorado was aspiring sportscaster Jessica Redfield. (Photo property of MTV News)

By: Jacob Elyachar

When I woke up this morning around 6:45 a.m., I headed to my Facebook news feed just like I do every morning.  What I saw there was pretty alarming; a majority of my friends and former colleagues in the Colorado media were talking about the nightmare that unraveled at a movie theatre Aurora, Colorado (which is 45-minutes away from my adopted hometown for four years, Boulder).

A gunman, which at this time police have identified as 24-year-old medical student and San Diego native James Holmes, who according to USA TODAY, opened fire in a crowded movie theatre showing the Dark Knight Rises.[1]   Holmes killed 12 people in total (10 who were killed at the theatre and two at the hospital.) and shot 58 moviegoers according to KUSA-TV NBC 9 News. [2]

The newly independent NBC News.com sated that Holmes was dressed as a red-or-orange haired version of the Joker.   When he gave himself over to the Aurora Police Department outside of the theater and stated that he booby-trapped his residence and astonished Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, who talked to NBC News.com reporters during a press conference.[3]

“It’s nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Oates said.

Oates stated that when the Aurora Police Department investigators arrived at Holmes’ apartment, they went on a truck and found that Holmes indeed booby-trapped his place as bottles filled with what both investigators and fire officials described multiple bottles on the apartment floor filled in with unknown liquids that were connected to wires.    Oates stated that the police would be expected to there for either “hours or days.”

Throughout the day, I have watched multiple segments about this tragic story unfolding; two pieces of information still shock me that involved a victim and the other about the murderer.    Of the 12 victims that were murdered at the Century 16 Theatres, journalist Jessica Redfield’s death shocked me because she is near my age range and was an aspiring journalist who according to SportingNews NHL was passionate about sports especially hockey. [4]

The world may never see Jessica cover any more hockey events or the 2014 or 2018 Winter Olympics because of Holmes’ cowardly and vile act.   Why would anyone so troubled would such a horrible thing?    To dress up as a fictional character that engulfs the definition of chaos and to then to murder innocent people attending a screening of The Dark Knight Rises?   We will all be watching this story unfold in the upcoming weeks.