Could Mayhem at Dark Knight Premiere Been Avoided?

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While no one expects a madman to come into a theater on a rampage, theaters should have some level of security that could have potentially prevented this incident

Marlton, NJ (PRWEB) July 20, 2012

Tragedy struck early Friday morning in a suburb of Denver, Colorado when a heavily armed assailant entered a movie theater and opened fire on the crowd. The shooting occurred at an early-morning showing of the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” There is a question whether this violence was an avoidable tragedy if the movie theater had better safety measures in place to protect its patrons--giving rise to a potential claim of premises liability for failing to provide adequate security.

There were at least 12 killed and another 38 injured in the shooting, according to a CNN report. Police were able to apprehend the suspected shooter in a parking lot behind the theater. The man believed to have committed this heinous crime was 24-year-old James Holmes from Aurora, Colorado.

Those who were victim to this horrible incident ranged in age from as young as three-months of age to 45, according to CNN.

Richard P. Console, Jr., a New Jersey wrongful death lawyer, was shocked and distressed to hear of this devastating event and questioned “If the movie theater had better security measures in place could this tragedy have been lessened or avoided? Each year more than 120,000 people lose their lives in preventable incidents, and businesses that invite the public to their premises should take every step possible to protect their customers from violence."

It was reported by witnesses that the assailant entered the theater through the emergency exit, threw tear gas, and then sprayed the crowd with shots from his four guns. The CNN report explained that the gunman was believed to have multiple firearms including a gun resembling a sort of AK rifle, two handguns, and a shotgun.

While no one expects a madman to come into a theater on a rampage, theaters should have some level of security that could have potentially prevented this incident. For instance if the gunman did, as witnesses claim, enter through the back emergency exit door there may be liability on the part of the theater itself. Having the emergency exit inaccessible from the outside or having an alarm that sounds when the exit is opened, may have prevented the assailant from getting in through there, forcing him to enter through the main entrance where presumably security guards would have seen him wielding four guns and intercepted him.

The attorneys at Console & Hollawell, P.C. have helped victims of violence like that which was seen Friday morning in Colorado. Our hearts go out to these victims and the families of those who lost their lives.

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