SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Sympathy and fear after Colorado theater shooting

Jul 20, 2012, 12:01 PM | Updated: 6:55 pm

AP120421160652
Tom Sullivan stands with
family members outside Gateway High School where witness
were brought for questioning after a gunman opened fire at
the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises Batman
movie Friday in Aurora, Colo. Sullivan later pleaded with
the media to help find his missing son, Alex Sullivan, who
attended the movie to celebrate his 27th birthday. (AP
Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

>Police: 12 dead in
‘Dark Knight Rises’ shooting

>Listen: News
conference from Aurora, Colo.

>Photos: Shooting
rampage at movie opening

Everybody is hurting today and certainly sympathy is a big
part of it. We think about all the moms, dads, sons,
daughters, brothers, and sisters who lost a loved one in
the wee hours of this morning. And we sympathize.

I think the reason we’re all affected so deeply is not
primarily sympathy, but it’s fear that that could have
been our kid at that movie theater.

I happened to wake up at four in the morning and started
watching the coverage. My first reaction was one of
‘that could have been any of us.’

A couple months ago, my middle daughter and group of
friends went to the midnight showing of “Hunger Games.”
It’s
become a huge event, on the first day of a movie’s release
and it’s generally on a late Thursday when these movies
open.

My daughter went to see the “Hunger Games” with a group of
friends. That’s where the sympathy comes from. You think
about these parents who got phone calls at 1:00 a.m.

Most parents go to bed safe in the knowledge that their
kids are going to a late movie with some buddies and be
home in a couple of hours. They’ll let themselves in and
they’ll see them in the morning.

So you think about those phones that were ringing at 1:30
or 2:00 am all around Aurora, Colorado and you think about
if that was your phone ringing…the person on the other
end telling you to get to the hospital because it was
your kid.

Dave Ross: It’s happened before; it
will probably happen again

Seattle fans still buying
tickets for “The Dark Knight Rises”

Tweets sent
before Colorado massacre

Listen: dispatch calls

Police: 12 dead in ‘Dark Knight
Rises’ shooting

Photos: Shooting
rampage at movie opening

Obama says he is ‘shocked’
by Colo. shooting

Shooting aftermath video
from The Denver Post

Some of the deadliest mass
shootings around world

Shooting cancels Paris
premiere of Batman movie

Is there a link between the
film and the shooting?

Dori’s commentary transcribed by MyNorthwest.com
staff

Seattle News Archives & Features

The location of the Vertical Evacuation Tower will be near the Westport Marina. It will be the thir...

Tom Brock

Rising above the risk: Westport breaks ground on Washington’s newest tsunami refuge

The city of Westport broke ground Saturday on what will become Washington state's latest tsunami-safe location: a new vertical evacuation tower.

4 days ago

Andre Sayles (2) bite of seattle shooting suspect...

Tom Brock

Texts on hold: SPD delays Bite of Seattle shooting records

Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles says he needs more time before he can release the police department's internal communications the night of the deadly "Bite of Seattle" shootings.

24 days ago

Two alleged wire thieves caught in the act on Highway 12 near Aberdeen. Authorities estimate they d...

Tom Brock

Grounded: Grays Harbor deputies cut short highway wire heist

Deputies in Grays Harbor arrested two men Saturday for trying to steal hundreds of feet of wire along Highway 12.

24 days ago

A huge tree fell in the parking lot of Burien's Seahurst Park, crushing six vehicles....

Tom Brock

Fallen tree crushes parked cars at Burien’s Seahurst Park

A huge tree fell in the parking lot of Burien's Seahurst Park Monday and crushed six cars.

30 days ago

Two separate shootings in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood left two people dead and three others inj...

Tom Brock

Belltown violence: 2 separate shootings leave 2 dead, 3 injured early Sunday morning

Two separate shootings in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood overnight left two people dead and three others injured.

1 month ago

Associated Press

Teenager arrested and 5 others sought in deadly July 4 fire in Washington state

EAST WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) — An 18-year-old in Washington state has been arrested for the investigation of manslaughter and arson in connection with a deadly July 4 fire, a county sheriff said Thursday. The teen from Kent was among a group of people setting off illegal fireworks from the back of a truck when one […]

1 month ago

Sympathy and fear after Colorado theater shooting