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CRIME
Theater tragedy
What took place? ASSOCIATED PRESS
Here’s a guide to some key questions in the wake of the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater during a showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Q: What happened? A: Shortly after midnight Friday, a gunman wearing a gas mask and black SWAT gear set off a gas canister and then opened fire inside a crowded theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colo., killing 12 people and wounding nearly 60 others, authorities said. The suspect was arrested near a car behind the theater and identified as 24-yearold James Holmes. Authorities did not release a motive. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups.
Q: Who is the suspect?
Photo by David Zalubowski | AP
Investigators place evidence markers at the Century 16 Theatre east of the Aurora Mall in Aurora, Colo., on Friday.
Gunman uses 3 guns to kill 12, wound 59 others By THOMAS PEIPERT AND P. SOLOMON BANDA ASSOCIATED PRESS
AURORA, Colo. — As the new Batman movie played on the screen, a gunman dressed in black and wearing a helmet, body armor and a gas mask stepped through a side door. At first he was just a silhouette, taken by some in the audience for a stunt that was part of one of the summer’s most highly anticipated films. But then, authorities said, he threw gas canisters that filled the packed suburban Denver theater with smoke, and, in the confusing haze between Hollywood fantasy and terrifying reality, opened fire as people screamed and dove for cover. At least 12 people were killed and 59 wounded in one of the deadliest mass shootings in re-
cent U.S. history. “He looked like an assassin ready to go to war,” said Jordan Crofter, a moviegoer who was unhurt in the attack early Friday, about a half-hour after the special midnight opening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” The gunman, identified by police as 24-year-old James Holmes, used a military-style semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, stopping only to reload. The suspect marched up the aisle in the stadium-style theater, picking off those who tried to flee, witnesses said. Authorities said he hit 71 people. One of them was struck in an adjacent theater by gunfire that went through the wall. “He would reload and shoot and anyone who would try to leave would just get killed,” said Jennifer Seeger, adding that bul-
Photo by Barry Gutierrez | AP
Shamecca Davis hugs her son Isaiah Bow, an eyewitness to the shooting, outside Gateway High School where witnesses were brought for questioning Friday, in Denver. After leaving the theater Bow went back in to find his girlfriend. “I didn’t want to leave her in there. But she’s OK now,” Bow said. let casings landed on her head and burned her forehead. Within minutes, frantic 911 calls brought some 200 police officers, ambulances and emergency crews to the theater. Holmes was captured in the parking lot. Police said they later found that his nearby apart-
FEDERAL COURT
Local man sentenced for distributing marijuana By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A 25-year-old Zapata man was sentenced to federal prison this week in Laredo for attempting to distribute more than 470 pounds of marijuana, federal authorities announced Thursday. Lenny Salinas, 25, convicted March 7 for possession with the intent to distribute, was handed a 63-month term. U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen further ordered Salinas to
serve four years of supervised release following completion of that prison term. A federal criminal complaint dated Sept. 21 states Homeland Security Investigations agents learned a white Ford F150 loaded with narcotics was parked at Alamo and Brazos streets. Agents quickly detected marijuana odor emanating from the truck, court documents add. A K-9 unit called out to the scene detected the possible presence of contraband in the
suspected truck and a horse trailer parked several feet away from the truck, the complaint states. While agents waited for search warrants, Salinas rode up on horseback and told agents he was the truck owner. He claimed he had recently bought the truck from the registered owner, according to the complaint. The search of the truck and the horse trailer yielded 79
See SENTENCE PAGE 9A
A: Holmes was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver but was about to drop out. He enrolled in the program in June 2011 and was in the process of withdrawing, though it wasn’t immediately clear why. He played soccer at Westview High School in the San Diego area and graduated with honors from the University of California, Riverside, in the spring of 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. Those who knew Holmes described him as a shy, intelligent man who grew up in San Diego with parents who were active in their well-to-do suburban neighborhood. Police in San Diego read a statement from family members in which they said their hearts go out to those involved. The family said they’re cooperating with authorities in San Diego and Aurora, and are trying to process everything.
Q: What is going on at Holmes’ apartment?
ment was booby-trapped. Authorities gave no motive for the attack. The FBI said there was no indication of ties to any terrorist groups. In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said:
A: Police said the third-floor apartment was booby trapped, so they’ve evacuated five surrounding buildings and bomb technicians were determining how to disarm flammable or explosive material. “It’s a pretty extensive booby trap. We’re not sure what it’s at-
See GUNMAN PAGE 9A
See Q&A PAGE 9A
Settlement reached in case involving body of Native American man By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A settlement has been reached in the case involving an Indian burial mound that was paved over in a county-approved construction project, said Juan Cruz, an attorney representing Zapata County. Cruz could not comment further because of a confidentiality clause in the agreement the county reached with Reim Construction, which was charged with a paving project in San Ygnacio.
The funds for the project were approved in a 2006 bond package, said Commissioner Jose E. Vela. Vela said the lawsuit was filed in 2010, the same year the paving project was completed. The burial mound, under which the remains of a Native American man lie, is at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Treviño Street. Vela said no one was able to identify the tribe to which the Native
See PAVING PAGE 9A