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Author Topic: Reports of shooting at Batman Premier. Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-20-2012 01:02 PM                     quote: Ron Funderburg The man broke in an exit how can staff anticipate that? How the hell do you kick in an exit door? Metal frame, opens out, cinder block building. I was wondering how the shooter entered the theater. With so many people dressing up in costume for certain movie releases (like installments of Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight & Rocky Horror) I thought it was possible the shooter could have been mistaken for some nerd dressed up as some kind of movie bad guy and not taken seriously until it was too late.  |  IP: Logged Michael Putlack Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Fort Collins, Colorado Registered: Sep 2011 posted 07-20-2012 01:07 PM                        I'm watching a police news conference right now and according to the Aurora police chief they don't know how the guy got into the theatre yet.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-20-2012 01:11 PM                        A new report says he went in (in the last 4 minutes) says he bought a ticket slipped out the emergency exit and propped it open then reentered with the the guns and gas. I didn't mean to sound preachy before but the staff did exactly what they should have done.  |  IP: Logged Dean Brock Film Handler Posts: 7 From: Clinton, TN, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 07-20-2012 01:28 PM                     Hey, it's fine, maybe I didn't make myself clear. I'm not second guessing the staff in that theater. I don't know what they did, or didn't do. I was just wondering if this happened at your theater what would you do? As far as any one's role as an employee goes, of course, no ones getting paid to put themselves in danger. But personally, I think it would be worth the risk navigating the booth to shut the projection down.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-20-2012 01:38 PM                        As long as you stay away from the theater that has the shooting anything to assist is fine. When I left full time theater management I booked and worked for a security company as PI. I was involved in security for events, personal, investigations for lawyers, and some fugitive recover (yuck). Security for major events you are trained in the what if's but can't do anything till someone does something. This deal I don't know if I would have sent anyone in there. Being stupid I might have gone in but you have to consider the background. If go in to "take out" the person and you miss you might, and probable would, hit an innocent person. You also expose yourself to being hit. I don't know that I would have thought of that then but I would now. This guy was a small strike force on his own. He expected to be shot that was why he had the vest. In the end he surrendered without indecent so maybe not so committed to his cause, or insanity.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-20-2012 01:42 PM                        What an awful tragedy. What a sick mind. Your heart has to go out to all those poor people and the victim's families whose lives will be changed forever. As for what the staff could have done....not a hellofalot. This guy had it planned to skirt any easy detection. What most theatres don't do very well is train their staff what to do in a variety of different scenarios. Something like this can't be planned for, but even other emergencies don't usually have a rehearsed protocol in most operations. We discovered this when we did have an emergency -- a woman had a heart attach in the middle of a live performance. After it was all over, we realized we never had a plan in place how to deal with such events. People were uncoordinated, with everyone running around pretty haphazardly. Do you stop the show, who is it that determines that, who calls 911, who makes an announcement to keep an audience both calm and informed. If that stuff isn't in place with everyone knowing what their responsibilities are in those scenarios, then it's just people running around in a panic. More than likely in this situation the staff did all that it could, clearing the theatre and calling the police. Unfortunately, I can guarantee that the minute the news broke, there were hordes of lawyers making plans to cash in by talking to patrons to get them to file lawsuits against the theatre.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-20-2012 01:44 PM                     I used to work with a cinema company who had all doors alarmed -including the hallway and theatre exit doors. Signage on the door: "Warning: door is alarmed! Alarm will go off when opened!" It would send a verr loud, audible squeal throughout the lobby. Only the mgmt had the code to turn off the alarm, but on the display on the alarm box, it would show which theatre's (or any) exit door was opened. I could never get over why the exit doors were alarmed-thought it was a crazy thing to do. Now, with this tragic event that has occured at a large venue, it stands for reason....and apologize for my opinions on the owner's decisions.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-20-2012 01:45 PM                     The way it sounds to me, the situation was hopeless. No one on the theater premises had any chance to stop this guy. Not any of the patrons or staff members. I've seen a few friends make posts on Facebook about how this incident is why every honest person needs a conceal carry permit. A low profile handgun inside your belt is better than nothing. But it's a pretty bad mismatch going up against someone toting a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun especially if the perp knows how and is determined to use those weapons. It's easy to shoot a handgun at paper targets on a range. It's a whole other story if you want to take on an assailant with superior firepower. Maybe if a SWAT team happened to be driving through the neighborhood and seen the armed guy in the parking lot there might have been some chance to prevent the incident. But that kind of thing would only happen in a perfect world.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-20-2012 01:56 PM                        With him having body armor it requires a head shot to put him down. But maybe if a person had a gun in the auditorium they could have gotten him early. Of course if you can't see he has the vest you will shoot at the chest. Head shots are hard but it is the only way to put him down.  |  IP: Logged Dean Brock Film Handler Posts: 7 From: Clinton, TN, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 07-20-2012 02:25 PM                     I don't think I'd try taking a shot in that situation. Aside from the obvious danger of instantly becoming the most important target for the shooter, I could see a round missing or maybe even going through the bad guy, going through the screen, through the wall and hitting some poor kid in the parking that's busy telling his friends how lucky he was to get out of there unhurt.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-20-2012 02:27 PM                        Like I said you have to be very aware of your background, whats behind where you are shooting. And no I don't recommend it; however, had there been an off duty police officer, or someone with a CCP they could make a decisions to shoot or not shoot. No one was there with that option, which will be the norm not the exception.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-20-2012 02:57 PM                     Its a terrible tragedy and I feel for all of the victims and their families. However, faced with a similar situation the only thing you can do is to protect yourself. Get down and under cover and hope like hell the perp doesn't go looking for more victims. If you are carrying you might get a shot if he does but playing Rambo is sure to get you killed. The staff did exactly what they should have by calling 911 and evacuating the theater.  |  IP: Logged Buck Wilson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 894 From: St. Joseph MO, USA Registered: Sep 2010 posted 07-20-2012 03:34 PM                     Re: door alarms Our theater has sensors at the theater exit doors, and when opened will set the keypad alarm off(which is at the usher stand), but nothing else. Doors are not marked. In the case of a Batman midnight show, it would definitely be investigated, as it is typically some teen letting in his friend without a ticket. Had this happened at our theater, perhaps, and I do mean PERHAPS, the gunman would've been locked out by the staff removing the prop. But otherwise, nothing could've been done... What an awful person. My deepest sympathies to all involved.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-20-2012 03:53 PM                     quote: Ron Funderburg A new report says he went in (in the last 4 minutes) says he bought a ticket slipped out the emergency exit and propped it open then reentered with the the guns and gas Another story popped up...that it could have been an inside job. A patron noticed someone sitting two seats over from this patron receiving a celphone call. He, then got up and headed to the exit door to prop open the door and disappeared. This is how the offender came in and do the massacre.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-20-2012 04:08 PM                        Well really at this point it is all conjecture as how he got the guns in. It is a shame one way or the other inside doesn't mean a theater work it can be a dirty patron involved. Or the cell phone call could unrelated. They will have to interview a lot of people before they get to the bottom of it. The story will change several times I'm sure. What will not change is he is rotten Bas*ard.  |  IP: Logged

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