TIMELINE OF THE MASSACRE:
JUNE 20, 2012
12:05am - 'THEDARK KNIGHT RISES' STARTS INSIDE THE THEATER. JAMES HOLMES HAD ENETERED WITH THE REST OF THE CROWD. HE HAD A SKULL CAP ON AND WAS IDENTIFIED BY SURVELIENCE VIDEO.
12:20 AM - (APPROXIMATE) JAMES HOLMES PUT HIS CELLPHONE UP TO HIS EAR AS IF TAKING A CALL AND LEFT THROUGH THE EXIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE THEATER AND PROPPED THE DOOR OPEN.
12:38 AM - HOLMES ENTERS THE THEATER THROUGH THE PROPPED EXIT DOOR. HE IS WEARING HIS SWAT GEAR AND HAS ON A GAS MASK. HE THROWS TWO GAS CANNISTERS INSIDE. WITNESSES SAY THEY HEARD "HISSING" FOLLOWED BY EYE IRRITATION AND BREATHING DIFFUCULTIES.
THE VIEW JAMES HOLMES HAD ENTERING THE THEATER THROUGH THE EMERGENCY EXIT
MMEDIATELY AFTER THROWING THE GAS CANNISTERS, HOLMES OPENS FIRE ON THE CROWD. THE CARNAGE HAPPENED DURING A SHOOTING SCENE IN THE MOVIE WHICH INITIALLY LED SOME IN THE THEATER TO BELIEVE IT WAS PART OF THE MOVIE OR A SPECIAL EFFECT. HOLMES WALKS UP AND DOWN THE AISLES SHOOTING AT RANDOM. EYEWITNESSES SAID HE TARGETED ANYONE WHO GOT UP TO RUN OUTSIDE.
12:39 AM - HUNDREDS OF 911 CALLS BEGIN TO COME IN.
12:40 AM - OFFICERS BEGIN TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE. THEY RADIO TO DISPATCH ABOUT MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SHOT AND ARE OUTSIDE THE THEATER.
12:41 AM - THEATER EMPLOYEE INFORMS DISPATCH THAT HOLMES IS STILL ACTIVELY SHOOTING IN THE THEATER.
12:42 AM- OFFICERS SET UP PERAMITER AROUND THE BUILDING AND FOCUS ON THEATER 9 AFTER WITNESSES AND VICTIMS CONFIRM THAT'S WHERE HOLMES OPENED FIRE AND IS STILL INSIDE. OFFICERS SMELL PEPPER SPRAY AND RADIO FOR GAS MASKS SO THEY CAN GO INSIDE THE BUILDING. POLICE ALSO REPORT HEARING RAPID FIRE FROM INSIDE.
12:43-12:45 AM - WITHIN THIS TIME FRAME, HOLMES WALKS OUT OF THE THEATER AND WALKS PAST COPS WHO INITIALLY THINK HE'S A MEMBER OF THE SWAT TEAM DUE TO HIS GEAR.
12:44 AM - VICTIMS ARE COMING OUT OF THE THEATER.
12:46 AM - POLICE SPOT JAMES HOLMES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE THEATER. HE MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION QUICKLY GIVEN BY EYEWITNESSES AND VICTIMS. OFFICER REPORTS THAT HOLMES HAS, "A GAS MASK, RIFLES, AND IS DETAINED". HOLMES TELL POLICE HE IS "THE JOKER".
12:51 AM - POLICE SAY THAT HOLMES ADMITS TO BEING THE LONE SHOOTER.
12:55 AM - PERAMITER ESTABLISHED AROUND ENTIRE MALL AREA TO SECURE AREA, TALK TO WITNESSES AND VICTIMS, TREAT, AND TRANSPORT INJURED.
2:00 AM - HOLMES' APARTMENT EVACUATED, AS WELL AS 5 BUILDINGS IN THE VACINITY. BOMB SQUAD SEES EVIDENCE OF EXPLOSIVES AND A SMART TECH ROBOT IS SENT IN. AT SOME POINT, HOLMES ADMITS TO POLICE THAT HIS APARTMENT IS BOOBY TRAPPED AND ASSISTS THE BOMB SQUAD WITH DISASSEMBLING THE EXPLOSIVES.
3:30 PM - VICTIMS BODIES REMOVED FROM THE THEATER.
12:41 AM - THEATER EMPLOYEE INFORMS DISPATCH THAT HOLMES IS STILL ACTIVELY SHOOTING IN THE THEATER.
12:42 AM- OFFICERS SET UP PERAMITER AROUND THE BUILDING AND FOCUS ON THEATER 9 AFTER WITNESSES AND VICTIMS CONFIRM THAT'S WHERE HOLMES OPENED FIRE AND IS STILL INSIDE. OFFICERS SMELL PEPPER SPRAY AND RADIO FOR GAS MASKS SO THEY CAN GO INSIDE THE BUILDING. POLICE ALSO REPORT HEARING RAPID FIRE FROM INSIDE.
12:43-12:45 AM - WITHIN THIS TIME FRAME, HOLMES WALKS OUT OF THE THEATER AND WALKS PAST COPS WHO INITIALLY THINK HE'S A MEMBER OF THE SWAT TEAM DUE TO HIS GEAR.
12:44 AM - VICTIMS ARE COMING OUT OF THE THEATER.
12:46 AM - POLICE SPOT JAMES HOLMES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE THEATER. HE MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION QUICKLY GIVEN BY EYEWITNESSES AND VICTIMS. OFFICER REPORTS THAT HOLMES HAS, "A GAS MASK, RIFLES, AND IS DETAINED". HOLMES TELL POLICE HE IS "THE JOKER".
12:51 AM - POLICE SAY THAT HOLMES ADMITS TO BEING THE LONE SHOOTER.
12:55 AM - PERAMITER ESTABLISHED AROUND ENTIRE MALL AREA TO SECURE AREA, TALK TO WITNESSES AND VICTIMS, TREAT, AND TRANSPORT INJURED.
2:00 AM - HOLMES' APARTMENT EVACUATED, AS WELL AS 5 BUILDINGS IN THE VACINITY. BOMB SQUAD SEES EVIDENCE OF EXPLOSIVES AND A SMART TECH ROBOT IS SENT IN. AT SOME POINT, HOLMES ADMITS TO POLICE THAT HIS APARTMENT IS BOOBY TRAPPED AND ASSISTS THE BOMB SQUAD WITH DISASSEMBLING THE EXPLOSIVES.
3:30 PM - VICTIMS BODIES REMOVED FROM THE THEATER.
CELL PHONE VIDEO FROM THE THEATER:
Eyewitnesses recall the shootings
CRIME SCENE PHOTOS
