Colorado theater reopening after July massacre
AURORA, Colo. — The movie theater where a gunman opened fire during the midnight premier of a Batman film in July prepared to reopen Thursday with an evening private ceremony.
Gov. John Hickenlooper and Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan were scheduled to attend the memorial event hosted by Cinemark, the theater’s owner. Also invited were victims, family members, emergency responders, and others who share a connection to the July 20 shooting that left 12 dead and 70 injured.
It was unclear how many relatives of the dead would attend. Family members of nine victims wrote a scathing letter to Cinemark earlier this month rejecting the invitation and blasting the Texas-based company for its insensitivity.
But others say it’s time to take the next step. An online poll conducted by Cinemark in August found that nearly 75 percent of responders said they wanted the theater to reopen.
“We need this. The community needs this. We need to move forward,” Mr. Hogan said in a video statement. “We need to have the opportunity to say thank you to some people who deserve thanks.”
He acknowledged that any number of victims and relatives will be absent from the reopening ceremony, called “A Special Evening of Remembrance.” Survivors have filed at least a half-dozen lawsuits accusing Cinemark of negligence.
“For some, it will be very, very difficult, and in fact we’ve already heard from some folks who just won’t be there,” Mr. Hogan said. “For others, it will be part of a healing process.”
Nancy Lewis, executive director of the Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance, said that victims’ opinions on what should happen to the theater run the gamut from having it reopen to tearing it down. About 1,700 people were either in the 16-screen complex that night or had loved ones who were killed or injured.
“You have 1,700 people who were directly affected by this, and you’re going to have 1,700 viewpoints about what should be done,” Ms. Lewis said.
Cinemark Holdings Co. has sunk an estimated $1 million into renovations, including a new facade, seats and carpeting. The individual theaters are no longer identified by number: What was once Theater 9, the site of the worst carnage, is now called Auditorium H.
The venue also has a new name: Century Aurora, which replaces the former name, Century 16 Aurora.
Cinemark also is offering free screenings during the opening weekend, which runs Friday through Sunday. The theater isn’t slated to be fully operational until Jan. 25.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and loved ones, our employees and the entire Aurora community,” Cinemark said in an online statement.
Survivors and relatives had a chance to tour the theater earlier this week. They also held a prayer vigil Wednesday evening outside the theater, Ms. Lewis said.
The alternative Denver weekly Westword reported that the opening weekend’s playlist includes shoot-‘em-up fare in “The Bourne Legacy,” “Red Dawn” and “Taken 2.” The deadly July shooting occurred during the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” a Batman movie with no shortage of violent action.