This weekend, a subdued America mourned the 12 individuals killed; and 55 injured in Friday’s deadly shooting incident in Aurora, Colorado — when a gunman entered a packed movie premier event and opened fire on audience members.
At a campaign event in Florida; and later in his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama said it was a time to set aside politics in the wake of the “tragedy that reminds us of all the ways that we are united as one American family”.
His presumed opponent in November’s election, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, touched a similar chord saying he and his wife Ann were “deeply saddened” by the “senseless violence” and expected that “the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.”
While Mr. Obama has touched upon gun control laws, particularly after the brutal attack in Tucson, Arizona, in which former Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords was shot in the head last January, Mr. Romney remained silent on the subject.
His silence seemed to acquire particular significance in the wake of an embarrassing tweet sent out by the conservative National Rifle Association, hours ahead of the Aurora killings. On Friday morning, a Twitter account apparently associated with the NRA, @NRA_Rifleman, tweeted, “Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans?” The tweet was subsequently deleted.
Even as questions about gun control once again occupied headlines in the aftermath of the shooting, candlelight vigils were held across the nation and hundreds of mourners were seen gathering at the site of the shooting at the suburban Denver theatre showing the latest Batman movie.
According to media reports, a makeshift memorial of 12 candles sat in a row near piles of flowers near the entrance to the theatre’s parking lot.
Custody
Meanwhile the shooting suspect, James Holmes (24), remained in police custody, after being arrested in the car park of the Aurora multiplex where the shootings were carried out. According to Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, months before the attack Holmes had “legally purchased four weapons at local gun shops — an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, two .40-calibre Glock handguns and a 12-gauge Remington shotgun.”
Law enforcement officials also confirmed that Holmes had bought more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the internet, including 3,000 rounds for the assault rifle, 3,000 for the Glocks and 300 for the shotgun.
