CO: Twelve dead at movie theater shooting in Aurora

Twelve people are dead (earlier reports had the number at 14) and 50 injured after a gunman opened fire at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado late last night.

The AP reports:

The gunman, who is in custody, stood at the front of the theater and fired into the crowd about 12:30 a.m. MDT at a theater at a multiplex theater in a mall in Aurora. Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said at a news conference. Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said. Officers found the gunman near a car behind the theater. "A gas mask, rifle, handgun at least one additional weapon (were) found inside," he said.

The suspect arrested is a 24-year-old male. He has been identified as James Holmes.

A somber President Obama addressed the crowd awaiting his Florida campaign stop, telling them that the event was canceled and instead the nation should spend the day in prayer and reflection.

President Obama responds to shooting:

Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.