Posted on 07/21/2012 2:16:47 PM PDT by libertarian2patriot
First off, where did an unemployed kid get the major cash “to purchase the body armor, weapons, ammo, explosives, etc. etc. etc...? Tear gas grenades? Now that is a very interesting twist.”
Student loans, for the semester he was not completing. As a Phd student im sure we paid for it all. An AR15, an 870, and two glocks can be had a total of 2500 bucks.
“How did he know that theater door (normally locked) would be open?”
Opens from the inside of each theater, emergency exit. Almost a certainty he did a dry run to see how the doors work. Watch a movie, walk out emergency exit and see if you get a reaction.
“And then he just strolls outside, waits for the police and surrenders?”
He wasn’t waiting, there was a VERY fast police response, and he took several Vicoden to stay calm. He was in the process of leaving when he found himself looking straight down police guns. As fun as that armor, helmet, and mask was, he was at a mobility and vision disadvantage, and surprised, was confronted for something he didnt expect, froze and surrendered. Happens to bank robbers and gang members every single day.
Now that's the basis of a helluva doctoral dissertation! "Random Violence: Shooting A Crowd At A Batman Movie And Its Social Effects."
Until Anders Breivik came along, I think the Port Arthur massacre was one of the worst in terms of death toll.
I notice a certain tactical similarity between Holmes and Breivik; the bomb, the music set up loud on a loop designed to lure the cops (or someone) who would inadvertently set it off, and then the shooting attack itself. The body armor, the SWAT look of the shooter.
I don’t think Breivik’s little shoot-’em-up in Norway was a direct inspiration, but at the same I do wonder if Holmes took some ideas from it into his head. Certainly, this young man is no dummy; he’s highly intelligent. He might have looked at the general outline of the Breivik attack and thought to himself, “Hey......I could do that too!”
One thing I’m sure about, this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment incident; this required planning, weapons procurement deliberation, and premeditation.
Aren’t theater emergency exits usually alarmed?
They certainly were when I was a kid. Back in the day, I had the bright idea of sneaking out into the back alley to smoke halfway through a boring chick-flick my gf dragged me to. The alarm scared the crap out of me and the house lights came up automatically.
Besides, if they weren’t alarmed, one kid would buy a ticket, open the doors and let in five friends. I’m still suspicious.
Guess that embarrassed you.
I’d think he’d take the emergency exits at face value.
You have no idea...
My girlfriend was super pissed because the incident occurred at one of the more “sensitive” moments of the film. I got kicked out, she stayed.
It was a week before she’d pick up when I called, and THEN I had to listen to her tell me exactly what she thought about my selfishness...
She dumped me shortly after that anyhow.
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