Colorado shooting

[747tech]

Was it ever reported how the shooter actually got into the theater?
Did he have help, block door open ?...
Media silence seems to be the order.

[TSiWRX]

There's some reports that mentioned he entered the theater, ticketed, rose and exited via the emergency exit that he later returned through.

[muxtech]

How did he defeat the alarm on the door which I'm sure it most assuredly had? Depressing the push-out bar on the emergency door to unlock it the first time would have triggered a very loud alarm that would have alerted management to its being opened. How could he have possibly obtained a key to silence it? This is a complete mystery to me and a question I have wondered ever since the details above were released. No way that door would not have had an alarm. It's a movie theatre. Anyone inside could let their friends in for free otherwise.

[TSiWRX]

^ To that, I have no explanations. I also do not recall having seen any speculations towards that end via mainstream media.

[Mobius]

My understanding was that the door did not have an alarm and he just used something to block the door open when he went out to retrieve his guns, etc.. I have been in plenty of theaters that had one or more exits that did not have alarms. I read an article that said people were pushing for alarms after this incident.

[muxtech]

My understanding was that the door did not have an alarm and he just used something to block the door open when he went out to retrieve his guns, etc.. I have been in plenty of theaters that had one or more exits that did not have alarms. I read an article that said people were pushing for alarms after this incident.

Not exits - emergency exits specifically. I would be interested in seeing the source for your understanding that the emergency door in Aurora did not have an alarm on the push out bar. If true, I consider that a ludicrous decision on the part of the theatre. Why would they not want to be alerted to an emergency? How could they control traffic through a door that could be opened by anyone in the theatre? Modern movie-plexes require patrons to exit through the lobby. Emergency door alarms are common-place in practically every public building. They are neither complicated or expensive. I find it hard to believe that Discount Drug Mart has them back by the dairy cooler, and a big mega-plex does not.

[JediSkipdogg]

I asked the same question regarding the alarm and was told from multiple theater employees all the way up to management level that it is pretty standard in the industry to not alarm theater doors. The reason is then after the movie someone has to go down and turn the alarm off so that patrons can except without setting off the alarm. Therefore they are treated as general exits and not really emergency exits.

My opinion on the matter though is why do they not send an alert to the front desk which should know if the movie is in progress or ended. IMO, I just found a way to invite 100 friends into a movie for free now. So who wants to go see 2016?

[muxtech]

Meet my friend Google:

Through a spokesperson for its attorney, Cinemark, operator of the Century Aurora 16, declined to comment on whether the rear door that police say Holmes used was alarmed but disabled, but there is no indication it was. At another Cinemark theater, the Century 16 Bel Mar in Lakewood, the doors leading to parking lots are not alarmed and remained that way last week.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_21237833?source=bb
So as far as I'm concerned, the door Holmes used was not an emergency exit. It was just a "rear door" that's locked from the outside.

I'm down for a free viewing of 2016 then.

[muxtech]

Modern movie-plexes require patrons to exit through the lobby.

Admittedly, I don't go to movies because they suck. But the few I have been to in the last few years, everyone exited through the lobby. I remember back in the day, exiting directly out of doors inside the theatre, but thought that was a thing of the past.

More google results:

The Holmes victim's mother, Shirley Wygal, is preparing to sue the Century 16 theater because her daughter, 32-year-old Rebecca Wingo, was killed during the violence. The mother has already found a lawyer and is currently preparing her case, according to TMZ.

Though the mother hasn't gone as far as to say the massacre was preventable, the lack of security around the exits, the lack of an alarm on emergency doors, and the lack of guards made the outcome of the incident worse.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/holme ... uit-79172/
They're not "emergency exits". They're just doors.

[Mobius]

Here are a couple more:

This one just describes it as an exit door, not an emergency exit.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/us/colora ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After the movie was under way, he went out a rear exit door, propping it open, and gathered weapons before re-entering through the door, the source said.

This one is a Cleveland reporters investigation.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/exit-d ... ie-theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

She walked into the darkened theater, no one else was inside so she approached the exit door. There were no signs indicating an alarm would sound, so she pushed open the door. Nothing happened.

[JediSkipdogg]

Modern movie-plexes require patrons to exit through the lobby.

Admittedly, I don't go to movies because they suck. But the few I have been to in the last few years, everyone exited through the lobby. I remember back in the day, exiting directly out of doors inside the theatre, but thought that was a thing of the past.

More google results:

The Holmes victim's mother, Shirley Wygal, is preparing to sue the Century 16 theater because her daughter, 32-year-old Rebecca Wingo, was killed during the violence. The mother has already found a lawyer and is currently preparing her case, according to TMZ.

Though the mother hasn't gone as far as to say the massacre was preventable, the lack of security around the exits, the lack of an alarm on emergency doors, and the lack of guards made the outcome of the incident worse.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/holme ... uit-79172/
They're not "emergency exits". They're just doors.

I agree, I originally thought it was a thing of the past but have found that I guess people can still exit through them if they desire. I guess nobody does anymore though as I can't recall the last time I saw anyone exit through them. Seems to me they should all now be alarmed as an emergency exit only in this day and age.

[SMMAssociates]

MegaMultiplex in Boardman has exits that go to a hallway that can take you either to the lobby, or to the parking lot.

A smidge more comfortable than going into the lobby when the place is full up.

We had another "major" theater (single screen, now a Burger King on the property) where I spent a lot of time as a youngster that had several exits of that type - no alarm, just out to the parking lot. Key required to enter, if you could at all.

I don't consider this all too unusual - especially the ones that go into an interior hallway. (Handy to a bathroom, too .)

What I don't like is the gunbuster signs .... Besides, with my 90 minute bladder and much longer movies, I generally don't go anymore. When Becka was tiny, we'd take her, but those kiddie movies are shorter....

The real point is the free fire zone.... The owners claim it's for our safety.... Sure....

Regards,

[BobK]

It is Bush's fault.

[Bruenor]

I'm sure the Theaters do the minimum to meet the fire code like any other business. The Exit alarms cost several hundred dollars a piece (what doesn't these days) and with the number of exit doors on the theaters that would add up to thousands of dollars rather quickly. To meet fire code they most likely have the pull alarms next to the doors. the door alarms are typically battery operated buzzers in a slam bar operated dead bolt. They do not typically report into any centralized panel that would be monitored from the lobby.

I've exited through other doors on multiple occasions, rather than track back through the theater lobby taking me in the opposite direction of the parking lot and my vehicle, I've exited out the doors a the end of the theater hall, that are close to the theater I'm in and closer to the parking lot and car.

Theaters not having these alarms doesn't surprise me in the least. If not required by code why would you spend the money ? Blaming the incident on lack of a door alarm is like saying it wouldn't have happened if we had magazine size restrictions. Maybe movie theaters should be required to install metal detectors, have explosive sniffing dogs, and put armed police officers in Every theater to keep us safe.