My wife's cousin was one of the victims in this shooting and she just now went to the movies again(Her decision) for the first time this year in January and I was so proud of her. Thank you for covering this and giving the victims and survivors their stories instead of putting all the attention on the shooter!
My heart broke when the lady said she recognised one of the bodies as the man who'd been excitedly doing the countdown. That's just so sad, him and everyone else just wanted to have a fun night and that sicko destroyed so many lives.
@@Lily-ld7fn it’s a film not real life, other then this really unfortunate event I hate to hear and learn about shootings like this, I couldn’t imagine having this and many other fears living in America ( I know shootings can happen anywhere but it’s sadly more common in America ): )
Unfortunately, it was still very common back then. She was only 13 at the time, so of course she wouldn't have known. We're all innocent and oblivious to many horrors when we're kids. Hell, I was in high school when the Columbine shooting happened. After that, it felt like a day didn't go by without another mass shooting in the news. The US sees hundreds, if not thousands, of them each year. It's a depressing fact, so I only recommend looking it up if you can handle it.
Less of a culture thing, more of a "I love my family" thing. I don't think there's any culture out there that specializes in abandoning their families during a mass shooting
@@jonihager717I wish I could argue with you but sadly it's true. I'm here and most all of these stories are right here in America. So many child abuse, SA, AND step parents killing their own kids. 😢 Oh and The next town over is where the chainsaw massacre dude used to live. 😮😅
This is why I wait for EWU. Your team is so thorough and respectful. My heart goes out to all you survivors of violence & the families. You’re all so strong.
i think its funny that the EWU crime team supported the killers claim of "some humal live is more worth as other" by pointing out the kid at the end , i think only a person who lives a miserable failing Life would claim a Child life is more worth as any others, because he/she may think he could re-relife his Live thru this kid ..which is the most pathetic thing ever
Veronica (the six year old) would have graduated from high school this year. This touched me because my eldest daughter just graduated high school. I can’t imagine not seeing her become the beautiful, amazing adult she is today. My heart breaks for all those that were lost but especially that little girl.
the one guy who shouted for people to get down possibly saved so many lives. such a tragic event but he was a hero rest in peace to those who died that day and praying to all who were affected by this tragedy 🥺
watched this the moment it dropped--this is the most in depth coverage of this scumbag i've ever seen. these video are far too well made, thank you for offering such intense coverage for free.
Two very dear people lost their daughter in this shooting. I sit here in tears with goosebumps head to toe as I lost my daughter to a shooting somewhere else. My son was randomly shot at also and missed by less than an inch. This video is so comprehensive my heart physically hurts.
@@chasnfireflies317 i know you probably hear it all the time, but i am sincerely so sorry for your loss and hardship and i am praying for you and your healing journey. you are incredibly strong.
@@deathheatedThank you. I will always honor my beautiful Katelyn, and in this man's wake, Jessica G. and all the others who were lost in this terrifying situation. They are in a safer, better, more beautiful place than us. I always appreciate every kind word, and prayer ♥︎ I sprinkle those everywhere
Props to that second dispatcher who kept her words clear, concise, and offered advice on how to apply first aid. Can’t be an easy job, especially in situations like this.
No wonder they get PTSD. Stressful and horrific just sitting in your living room listening to these calls after the fact. Imagine that being your job, to try to help people as the horrific thing unfolds.
This is probably the best example of how a dispatcher should compose themselves during these stressful moments. Notice how she immediately tried to get as much information as possible from a panicked employee and was successful doing so
So many stories of people putting themselves between their loved ones and the horrific violence. Without hesitation, they decided if it's going to happen, it's going to happen to me. Incredible. So much love.
I honestly think most Americans would cover their wife and children with themselves. It really looks like had the system worked , police not following up on the tip from the counselor. ... and others it may have been avoided. Looks like the police did a good job with what they walked into...at least they went in...
Pretty goddamn disturbing that this dude could go to a psychiatrist and tell them he wants to take the lives of a lot of people, and share “constant homicidal thoughts”, and be noted as having a “high intention to act on them” and somehow stay under the radar..
yeah….that psychiatrist had a duty to have him committed and treated. I don’t know much of the outcome of the trial bc I haven’t invested time with this case, but I’m interested to know if that psychiatrist had any charges.
@@paranoid_android33The psychiatrist reported him to the police. The police were informed of all that he said during those sessions. Did you briefly fall asleep watching this video?
@@vangoghsseveredear no death penalty for 12 people killed and 57 injured and got looked past the cops after been reported by psychiatrists he’s dangerous. Got talked to like a baby in the interrogation room ..lmao yup no race issue here. 😂 clown
@@TheJoker-gg8hc you need to shut up. Having empathy is a NORMAL human emotion Genuinely what is wrong with you You are not cool for being an absolute prick. Be a better person.
@@TheJoker-gg8hc without any sign of maturity, it's harder to get taken seriously. No matter how cynical or obnoxious you try to be. 'pity party'. Just wow.
Can I please make a request to toughen up. The world is only going to get worse. This election will bring about a lot of crazies. You will be “BURSTING into tears” on a regular basis if you don’t develop thick skin. Either that or move to a peaceful country where this type of stuff doesn’t happen
@@DylanDurfee-u7s I agree, that dispatcher was dumb, but there were subtitles on the video. That makes it easy to hear or understand what they are saying. The dispatcher did not have subtitles.
They are robots. No matter what you think so are cops. They will tase someone and while that person is being tased they will say “stop resisting!” Even though initially that persons muscles are locked up and they are incapable of moving.
@@CBright7831 are you retarded? I never said those were her words. I was talking about how she didn’t seem to care at all about the shooter being there because all she cared about was hearing the guy and almost seemed annoyed it was not more quiet. And it isn’t funny. It’s absurd. Are you being serious?
I went to Gateway high school in Aurora Colorado. I lost several friends in the shooting. May God rest their souls . Especially AJ Boykin he saved his girlfriend from the hail of gunfire and sacrificed his life.
Damn that hits different rn sad she lost her life before she really got to live Rip to all the ones who passed keep a gun with you at all times for situations like this
The fact that the movie was still playing is terrifying to me. Like saying that they couldn’t tell what was a movie shot or a real shot. That made my blood go cold. These poor victims. I hope the rest in peace and the survivors can find some way to cope. Like hearing the 911 calls, I would literally never be able to talk about it again. Thank you EWU for giving them a chance to share their story
I thought the same thing. But as a counselor, my mind went to how insane life went for these victims from a fantasy movie of Batman showing up to protect and rescue a victim to them actually needing a real superhero to save them at that moment when the shooting started. Then the victims had to become their own superhero to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.
The projection booth is not constantly manned like back in the days... Everything pretty much automated. Movie starts playing, no reason for anyone to be up in the booths. Also it's probably bunch of young teens working at the theatre. You expect one of them to heroically run towards the gunshots so they can hit pause? I wonder what you would've done in the situation since you're an expert on telling the difference between a movie gun shot vs a real gun shot.
@@bydeuceWho are you responding to? I don’t see anyone saying they know the difference between real gunfire & movie gunfire OR that someone should have gone up to turn the projector off. ??
As a Colorado native and used to live close to this theater, I appreciate you sharing the victims and families stories and not glorifying Holmes. I didn’t go to a movie for so long after this incident.
I recently went to that theater not too long ago, exactly where it happened. I couldn’t even imagine being there that day. Now I look for exits everywhere I go, even more at the movies
He was convicted of 24 counts of first degree murder when 12 died because, "For each person killed in the shooting, Holmes was charged with one count of murder with deliberation and one count of murder with extreme indifference."
@@MyName-yl2nc Yup. I spent seven months inside and it was horrible. I've never been so depressed. Really straightened me up, and the thought of spending life in prison immediately makes me suicidal lol, I'd never be able to live that life.
My bestie was there with her son. They are extremely fortunate to have gotten out of the theater without physical injury, but the mental trauma for all of them remains.
I saw The Dark Knight Rises at the midnight release too. I came out of the theater with several missed calls from both my mom and dad. I immediately called back and could hear both my mom and dad worried beyond belief, and glad I was alright. It was probably sometime close to 3:00am. I live in Arizona. Not Colorado. They thought this was a nationwide planned attack. I can't imagine not have being able to call my parents and assure them I was alright. Rest in Peace to those who were taken too soon.
The same thing happened to me. My friends and I were in college and drove an hour away to a fancy IMAX theater for the midnight release. At the time, we were playing a game called "Assassin", where a neutral player (liked a DnD dungeon master) assigns "targets" to all the players. This was something we did periodically and the games would last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Shortly before the movie started, one of my friends completed their assassination with a tiny plastic water gun hidden in a small bag of popcorn. We always tried to find funny ways to take out our targets, so this one in particular illicited a lot of laughs. We only learned about the shooting when we left the theater, turned our phones back on, and saw the missed calls from our respective parents. Understandibly, that was also the last game of Assassin we ever played.
@@npc6340that's so sad. This scumbag ruined so many lives, even those who weren't in the cinema at the time 😢 I am also sad such a friendly game you played is now associated with this horrible night. Wish you the best and the OP too 🙏
why is literally nobody talking about johnathan? mad respect for him , he sacrificed himself for his girlfriend so she can live on and tell her story❤ rest in peace to the victims.
When I saw that Veronica would be graduating high school this year, I broke down so hard. Rest in Peace, beautiful baby girl, and may her family be okay.
@@mariemurphy2690I know. I'm sick to my stomach. I don't understand one thing though if Veronica was supposed to be graduating high school why do they have a picture of her in her cap and gown and she looks like she's only about 12 years old. Can anyone explain that for me
@@Pebbles523 I’m not sure where you’re from but places I grew up in the US, we always did these little graduations every few years, I always see a kindergartener one, a middle school one and a highschool one; it kinda gives the kids a taste of what the real thing will be life! Encouragement to get there! That was probably her send off picture to middle school😭
This channel is so far above every other true crime channel. Don't get me wrong, i love my smaller channels, but EWU seems to have content _no one else_ has.
I was just telling my husband this 😅 I was like WHO DO THEY KNOW?!?! How do they get all of this footage?!?! I even work in forensics and EWU goes above and beyond anyone out there. It’s wild. So incredible too. They truly put so much work into these.
I appreciate the narrator's voice, and how he tells the story in a controlled manner. I can't listen to certain other crime channels where the narrator uses an over-the-top dramatically animated voice to tell of an already dramatic enough situation.
I live 5 minutes away from the theatre. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. The amount of cops we saw flying past our house was just insane. It was hard for any of us to ever go back to that theatre again.
I’ve not ever been to a movie theater that was ever anything even close to how chaotic this theatre was BEFORE The Event even happened. That’s crazy AF The energy was already Wild That’s a trip
What still makes me sick is that he sat in amongst the happy people, everyone excited well before the movie started, probably heard the man who was shouting out the countdown, heard young kids giggling and people munching their snacks... all the while knowing he was going to try and kill as many of them as possible. It must be horrific for the survivors to think about, knowing he was sitting there like a wolf in sheep's clothing... biding his time.
When I clicked play, I had no idea this would be about the Theater shooting. I'm from Aurora. I spent so much time at that theater through my childhood. Even as a young adult, I had recently watched a movie there only a few weekends prior, as I had many friends and family who still lived in Aurora (I had moved to Denver). I woke up early the next morning, to the news of what happened. Spent time trying to make sure friends and family were accounted for. Then, I found out he killed someone in my friend group from High School. Sully (Alex Sullivan) was such a kind soul. As a result of this tragic event, his father entered politics, and years later is now part of the Colorado Senate. It's been over a decade, and it still hurts. I can't bring myself to watch this, but I hope this does help bring a sense of understanding and some semblance of justice for all of the lives that were so senselessly taken that day. A-Town 💔
I was in combat medic school the day this shooting happened. We listened to the radios live as this was happening. It was heartbreaking. Our sergeants turned it into a lesson I will never forget.
I’m from the UK and was wondering if you know if a person is reported to the police by a doctor or psychiatrist it triggers an alert and a process is in place if they’re a gun owner so they can be removed for safety reasons.
@@1972dsrai no. These are called "red flag laws" in the states. They are shot down (pun) when they come up. I'm not a lawyer so I don't know exactly what it can and cannot do. I AM a gun owner/licensed/insured/ect however, but in my state I agree that the laws are pretty lax.
I have never cried listening to a true crime video, but hearing the calls brought instant tears to my eyes. Just imaging all of the emotions running through this video is heart shattering. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live through this.
Yeah but even if that logic did make sense, what's he doing with that now? It's not like he's out there doing the things that those 12 people could have done in life. I don't understand the logic.
@trustworthydan And they say he has a high IQ. IQ is honestly meaningless, I think social intelligence is the most important kind of intelligence and guys like this lack it in any respect. So they come up with meaningless dumbass bullshit like this and end up spending their lives in prison bc they're such delusional morons.
Im used to mentally ill people and often can see where they are coming from but i dont understand his logic on that one. Maybe he watched the anime death note before ... thats basically this case in a nutshell but other than in the anime, he doesnt gain life span from it
@@BelleFlower15 if someone says to a lawyer or doctor or even a confessional clergy they feel like they want to kill or anything like that they are required to report it.
@@timetraveler1973 ONLY if they have a plan and a target. He devulged neither, so there was nothing to report. If young people cannot talk to someone about wanting to kill people, who will they talk to? Or will they just make a plan and pick a target?
@@youbetyourwrasse not true. expressing self harm desires may not require reporting to authority. expressing HOMICIDE desires doctors and everyone are required to report.
This is why I have pretty much watched all of your videos. The depth, the care, and the professionalism is astounding. I heard an anonymous survivor story regarding this mass shooting, and I have always wanted more information like the why and how-and you delivered. 👏🏻 I make it my mission to listen to victim stories, hoping that they know someone is truly listening-and sincerely cares. Your production of this video conveys such genuineness. Thank you.
I'd just like to bring to yall's attention that one of the victims was pregnant, and her unborn child is (or should be) included in the death toll as well. But as an Aurora native, thank you for covering this story and shedding light in a respectful way. 💜
@@SenkoVTYep, same in America. Here we blame Democrats, as well as this post-modern hellscape that sees children being given puberty blockers to “transition”, and men being demonized for their masculinity. I was born in 1979, and I no longer recognize the country I live in. My thoughts go to the murdered baby that my country sees as less than human.
This was probably the best crime video I've ever seen. The focus on the survivor's stories and lives helped show a rarely seen part of these horrible things that happened- so often the focus is on the perpetrator and it can glamorise them and their cruelty. I don't think a person who has watched this video would ever think of the perpetrator in any positive sense ever again.
Same. I always watch people and think of escape. It’s sad people can’t just go to a movie anymore without worrying of this but it’s how people in the world are and it’s sickening
This is probably one of your videos I've struggled the most to make it through. Excellent coverage, the stories from the victims had me shaking and as an empathetic person it was hard not to feel truly terrified for the experiences they went through. I knew of the shooting but I had no clue the magnitude of horror these innocent souls went through, and now I'll never forget. Thank you for helping us understand what makes a monster and how to look out for them.
the conversation with him at the end is truly the most terrifying thing i’ve ever watched. it feels so menacing, yet its not purposeful..he’s just a genuinely horrifying human.
The scariest part to me is that he told the girl who tried to be friends with him that he was 'bad news' & to 'stay away from him'. Can u imagine her feeling after learning what he did? Also he is sick and twisted, but in a sense he was asking for help too. It's so hard to figure out where his mind is at. Scary. Rip to the victims
Props to the girl who just dove into it, said "okay" when the operator was giving instructions for helping her friend all the while having to tell the lady "there's people shot all around me" She kept it together so well
He, just like every other shooter, wants to be remembered. And we give it to them. Every media channel in existence talks about the shooters, their childhood, their academic pursuits, their jobs, what their lives were like, explores their mental states in depth, shows their pictures, interviews people that knew them, on and on and on. People will keep shooting as long as they get this kind of attention.
@ morbid curiosity tbh. I just don't get it. It's such a weird phenomenon that it's hard to not wonder and look for answers/reasons even if it's just "they're batshit insane"
This was one of the hardest videos of yours I've watched, it is SO well done and thorough but I was in tears the entire time. It feels impossible to comprehend the devastation. My heart aches for the victims and their families.
Although I feel very badly for the innocent people who went through so much during this incident and after, I thought they did a horrible job on this video because it left out so much and even added in accurate information
This was the most heartbreaking video. The fact that she would have graduated this is broke me. I can’t imagine what the survivors, the staff, the dispatchers, the medics, literally everyone has to deal with mentally now. My heart breaks for every one of them. This was a very well done video and I appreciate your focus on the victims and saying their names.
I can feel the terror through the screen, RIP to all the people of lost their lives that day. I hope survivors and family members are able to heal knowing the killer is in jail ❤️
I love your channel. And I’m getting annoyed that ppl are taking your videos and putting them on tiktok without credits to yall. I know yall put a lot of time and resources into these videos. We appreciate you ewu crew!
That's why I HATE TicTok.... people just steal other people's shit and try to get 'famous'. These so-called 'stars' will be nowhere in the future. Dime a dozen.
I've heard this story 100s of times and never have I been so captivated as I was in this video. I cried like 10 times.... Thank you EWU for letting the survivors speak.
I worked for the same theater chain a few years after this happened. We talked about it in our training and learned all the details of his plan, and had a lot of security measures before and after each showing that constantly had this event in my head. We always checked doors multiple times and I was afraid I would push on an emergency door one day and it would swing right open, since he had propped the door not to latch. Big movie releases were scary, because I worried any packed theater was a target. The event was traumatizing just to hear about, but working in the theater and such a thing being a possibility causes me to still feel anxious in theaters today. I'm always tempted to check the doors. I do if no one else is there. And I think of my escape plan and choose my seats wisely. It was my first job and my first wake up call of how messed up it is that we feel like there's a predator in the grass at all times, and that feeling that way is now necessary in a lot of roles.
Shout out to these psychologists that take the time to hear these sick peoples words of horror and staying calm. I can’t imagine the strength it takes to know the person you’re speaking with killed people/children with zero remorse. I could never stomach that.
I was not in this theater. But I was in another theater watching the same movie while it happened. I remember getting out of the theater and turning my phone back on to dozens of calls from my mom cause the same movie I was watching was being shot up in another theater. I spoke with a survivor not to far back and it's horrifying what they went through. Holmes is a monster. I hope the survivors are doing well, and I hope they're Healing well. I know it's not anything they can fully heal from, but hopefully they can heal as well as they can.
It's kinda something that you are right about... The information is important to get out there to see just who is capable of this type of thing. They are doing a better job...I couldn't tell you who tried to shoot Trump ... That could just be the media though.
I'm from Denver Co. I was at that theater earlier that day. Century 16 is still a movie theater with that specific theater people died in as a memorial for the victims. A sad piece of my city but thank you ewu for telling the story. Stay safe in this world
This one was tough for me to get through..I was supposed to be there that night. I had purchased a ticket, but after working a double and still being exhausted after a Power Nap, I decided to stay home and continue sleeping. So my best friend went with another friend instead. Her friend was shot in the neck, but luckily survived. I also had friends and coworkers in the theater next door who all suffered from severe ptsd afterwards. Watching this, I realized there was a lot that I mentally blocked from this whole event and everything afterwards. My heart still goes out to all of those that night.
I remember being inside a theater watching Cloverfield which was like that really immersive, suspenseful film when an emergency happened. It was not a shooting, but it was a fire. Everyone was so engaged with the movie that we thought the emergency was part of the film too. The sirens in the film were like the alarms in real life mixing together. I remember that some people even refused to believe the emergency and not leave the room. When we are in the theaters, we really let guard down
This episode was so well done. I remember this happening and not really hearing anything about why it happened. Thank you for doing the research to expose everything about this case.
"The following footage has been analyzed by a qualified team..." i get the chills. Is insane the quality of the material you guys get and make, thanks for bringing material like this to light.
So crazy. I went to this theater before it happened. I don't really like going to movies anymore. Concerts are scary now too. Schools. Stores. It's hella depressing. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of these people. Little Veronica's mom had me choked up. 😢
Vote for candidates who want to regulate gun ownership, including keeping them away from mentally ill/unstable people and Universal Background Checks. These kind of attacks are negatively-impacting Americans in EVERY STATE and it's a lot more than killing people. Gun incidents cause multiple school and workplace shut-downs, causing kids to lose out on education and business clients to lose or delay work. Victims of gun violence may suffer many days in the hospital and have life-altering injuries that require a lot of rehab care. They may have to give up their own schools/jobs due to PTSD and/or serious injury. Many will need ongoing counseling for PTSD and depression. We can't afford to do nothing. We are the only country in the world that allows mass access to guns, which were never originally for civilian use (AR15's etc). Certain GOP states have passed insane laws allowing anyone to carry a gun without training, a background check or permit. The now extremist GOP party of "law and order" puts more importance on the right to bear arms than its own people. 😪😵💫 The people need to elect those who are willing and able to put people before guns.
An hour long? Love it. Please more Crime Storytime videos!!! I know they are probably harder to make than interrogation videos, but they're so worth it.
This entire thing is heartbreaking. When he told the responder on the phone “just notify all hospitals that we got people coming in” that’s when I broke out into tears. I know that over 70 people were injured, but oh my god.
I don’t usually cry at these things, but hearing those statements at the end of the video, made my heart hurt. I hope everyone is on their way to healing and gets the help they deserve ❤
Such a devastating event that I've heard before but this channel gave it a new life in giving the important details I didn't have before. Hearing the interviews of the people who were survivors of this tragedy was integral to get the real emotion and terror experienced in that theatre. RIP to all those murdered in this tragic event.
Thank you for giving those who survived this horrendous event a chance to tell their story, it's important in the healing process. Now i have suffered a lot of past traumas of different types & this is hard for even myself to listen to, so i want the survivors to know how brave they are to relive this life altering event. I'm also really sorry for all those who didn't survive, I'm not going to say anything about the man who did it because i haven't got anything nice to say about him.
I specifically remember this story, glad to gain some insight after all these years, thanks for not allowing this story to fade away like the media did, I was really concerned all the way from Detroit Michigan 😢❤💪🏽 I send out strength to those who survived, love to those who we lost, I always wondered how DC responded that would have been a nice touch but anyway thanks again
You know, I thought I could do it, but I remember hearing about the events too clearly the next day. I made it about 7 minutes in. Kudos to you for focusing on the families, and much love to your efforts on these videos.
Bless this man Anggiat Mora for telling his story in English despite it not being his first language. Everyone who had the courage to revisit this event deserves many hugs. My stomach literally hurts watching this video so I cannot imagine the horror these people still live with every day.
Same😢. The comment right before yours was posted 4hrs like yours based off when I'm seeing this. They had a similar thing to say. Talk about coincidence..
It started with Columbine and just got worse from there. We did have our tragedies in the 80s as well with events like the McDonald's massacre in the early 80s. It wasn't common, but it happened. Now, it happens about twice a year.
@@desertweasel6965 way more than that. In 2023 there were 82 school shootings. Already now in 2024 there’s been 13. It’s so sad. So so sad. Colombine is still engraved in my brain 😔
Caller: "I'm being stabbed to death." Dispatcher: "What color shirt is he wearing? Are you bleeding? Can you talk louder while you're being killed so I can understand you?"
Never ceases to amaze me the stupid questions these dispatchers ask in critical emergences when every second counts, I'm not sure who does their training??? but it's not great,- when you consider they are dealing with life and death situations. It has got to improve!
This is the best and most informative video about this awful crime. Thank you for letting the victims/survivors speak. This story broke me many times, but I appreciate it being told. There were many heroes that day that deserve to still be here. RIP to all lives lost ❤
All of your content is always great, but this is incredibly done with such respect. Thank you for honoring the victims and allowing the survivors to tell the story.
What’s crazy is I remember when this happened. I was like 8-10 and I was gonna go with my Uncle, Cousin, and brother, but all because I didn’t really like Batman I didn’t want to go watch it which made my uncle think “well if you ain’t gonna go, none of us will.” My brother and cousin got mad.. I’m glad.
I'm a Colorado local, also went to a midnight showing of this movie over in another city a couple miles away that night. Hearing the news later that night was a crazy feeling.
EWU you did a wonderful job breaking this case down. Even after 10+ years I can't imagine what these families live through today. Thank you for sharing their stories too.
Whenever I hear about this case I think about Jessica Ghawi, who survived the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto just to lose her life in this shooting. So sad.
maybe its a technique,so the caller would repeat the address they might say the wrong address because of panic. a calmer caller who repeats the address is better. idk just speculating
@@ArthurDentt-l6j exactly my comment. Anyone and everyone from the Denver metro area knows exactly where that theater is. Especially cops. So freaking stupid to ask for an address. All she had to do was dispatch it as the theater. Every cop in the city would have known where it's at.
I didn’t see anyone say this but let me just say. The amount of effort and time taken to create this video is really wow! The interviews, the analysis, the scripts, the narration, all top notch. Kudos to EWU Crime Storytime. Hope to see more from you guys 🥰
I’m normally not too emotional when it comes to my day-to-day life, but I was almost brought to tears while hearing those phone calls with chaos surrounding those scared people. I couldn’t even begin to imagine their emotions in that situation. RIP to all of the victims from this horrific event.
Whoever the dispatcher was …. They need to be retrained because why would you tell the victim to “say it loud” . That could cost them their life & blow their cover .
As a first responder who has been heavily trained on MCI’s, knowing that baby if she was unresponsive would not be top priority in a situation this big, is devastating. That would be the day i break all protocols
Agreed, that's what I kept thinking about with each call, including the calls from the responders saying, "I've got 2 ... I've got 1 ... I've got 7!". Thinking, how are they going to be assigned? 😭
@@casondrastinson8525 we now have a color system where we tag people as we see them. I dont know how it worked back then. But the people who are stable get green, they’ll be transported when there is availability. Yellow is moderately injured but not about to die, think shot in the arm or leg with no major arteries hit. Red is first to be taken to the hospital and those are the people that are going to be dead but are still alive. And the last category is black, they are already dead or have no chance of survival upon arrival. They will not be transported, CPR will not be performed unless everyone else is already taken care of and they have enough responders.
yes because the calls are totally not enhanced they totally don’t have subtitles and they could totally turn up the volume on the call on a damn landline😂
I agree with both sides of everything above. The emergency operator is absolutely incompetent. It's an active shooter and you want the caller to give away their position to said shooter? Umm ok, I think the operators one braincell was asleep that night. And also the operator very likely didn't hear anything clearly because it was a phone call with a lot of noise happening possibly not only in the auditorium but also in the call center itself at the time. We have enhanced sound here, so it's not logical or fair at all for you to say "I heard" or the word "clearly" in any way.
I was a 911 dispatcher for a few years (burnout is real).I can honestly say that the first dispatcher was inadequate. She obviously was not able to handle the stress at all.
@@sheilaboston7051 obviously yes. That’s the biggest problem, how easy it is to get a gun. But every time they introduce a new bill it gets shot down and people go nuts over it like there has to be some middle ground. Like how many lives need to be lost, especially children’s lives before they go okay, screw the amendment, and do something about it?
Interviewing killers like this can provide so much information to better understand how to see warning signs to prevent future killing sprees. I find this so interesting, the mind of a killer.
@@nightshadegatito actually there alot of countrys where you legally can buy guns ..but its only Amurica where "Shool Shootings " are kinda something like a weather phenomena
@@hossosplitternacken7819 I trust the mass media only to be corrupt and to be accurate incidentally. To want to destroy a school seems kind of natural to me, as schools are a place of extreme trauma to human beings, and America is often a place of lonely people who do not pay much attention to children and families. I’ll never leave my beloved country.
I've seen a couple of other channels cover this case, but yours, as usual, was the most in-depth. Hearing the witness testimonies, hearing more of those 911 calls, and listening to how the families grieve was difficult to get through. I can only imagine the horror everyone in theater 9 experienced that day. What's difficult to process is the lack of care the campus police took with all the warnings hos psychiatrist presented them. It's a tale as old as time in this country. No one with higher authority cares until it's too late. Even then, it's shrugged off.
My wife's cousin was one of the victims in this shooting and she just now went to the movies again(Her decision) for the first time this year in January and I was so proud of her. Thank you for covering this and giving the victims and survivors their stories instead of putting all the attention on the shooter!
I'm so glad she has not let it stop her love of the movies. It would be really hard to get over something like that, that's for sure..😊..🦘🇦🇺
Wow I'm proud of her too .... ❤❤❤❤ I'm at a loss of what else to say .... but sending healing vibes
Very fair, I cant name one movie worth paying $14 for in the last 12 years either😅
Wow. That’s a big step in the right direction! God bless her and everyone who was affected
I’ve always wondered:
Other than…you know…how was the movie?
My heart broke when the lady said she recognised one of the bodies as the man who'd been excitedly doing the countdown. That's just so sad, him and everyone else just wanted to have a fun night and that sicko destroyed so many lives.
I did too😢 my first thought was he was counting down to his death time. So sad! I hope they are all resting in gods arms.
It was a disgustingly violent film, so no fun involved.
@@Lily-ld7fn it’s a film not real life, other then this really unfortunate event
I hate to hear and learn about shootings like this, I couldn’t imagine having this and many other fears living in America
( I know shootings can happen anywhere but it’s sadly more common in America ): )
@@Lily-ld7fnyou mean the dark knight? One of the best comic movies ever made, with a wonderfully crafted cast, music, and environment?
@@WonderThighs Yes.
“An active shooter wasn’t as common then as it was nowadays”…that’s such a depressing statement.
That one hit me too. I miss my childhood for that reason. Things were normal 😢. Also, my condolences for your fur baby Fred🥺🙏🏽🕊️🌈🐾
Unfortunately, it was still very common back then. She was only 13 at the time, so of course she wouldn't have known. We're all innocent and oblivious to many horrors when we're kids. Hell, I was in high school when the Columbine shooting happened. After that, it felt like a day didn't go by without another mass shooting in the news. The US sees hundreds, if not thousands, of them each year. It's a depressing fact, so I only recommend looking it up if you can handle it.
@@MidnightSonnet This sort of thing goes back to the 1800s. It's faaarrr from new.
@@Quazi-Motoyeh those Wild West guys armed with drum mag equipped AR15s really caused havoc in the 1800s
Even then it was kinda predictable.
"i recognized him as the guy calling out the times, i think he died trying to escape" was what got me.
Me too
Same 😭
I'm so angry that this happened... But...my eyes started leaking, hearing about that dude being so excited...
he unknowingly calling out the time before he dies
@@leae2731That’s some Final Destination shit😢
the dad saying "we all leave together all 3 or we die all 3" when his wife said leave me here was moving...strong bond of family right there...
Many cultures are that way ❤
Less of a culture thing, more of a "I love my family" thing. I don't think there's any culture out there that specializes in abandoning their families during a mass shooting
@@SlimeBlueMS 😂😂 a culture that specialises in abandoning family during mass shootings 😂 good observation. They were a lovely family.
Just the american culture thinks about themselves and not their family. @SlimeBlueMS
@@jonihager717I wish I could argue with you but sadly it's true. I'm here and most all of these stories are right here in America. So many child abuse, SA, AND step parents killing their own kids. 😢
Oh and The next town over is where the chainsaw massacre dude used to live. 😮😅
This is why I wait for EWU. Your team is so thorough and respectful.
My heart goes out to all you survivors of violence & the families. You’re all so strong.
I’m confused. You waited over a decade to pay attention to a mass shooting just so EWU could release a video?
@@iamhealthy4068 you're always confused, aren't ya?
@@iamhealthy4068 bro she did not say.
they speculate a ton its a bit frustrating
yee i also kind of get tired of hearing him say every killer has APD@@wozo9210
I’d also like to thank you for closing this video with a focus solely on the victims and their loved ones.
i think its funny that the EWU crime team supported the killers claim of "some humal live is more worth as other" by pointing out the kid at the end , i think only a person who lives a miserable failing Life would claim a Child life is more worth as any others, because he/she may think he could re-relife his Live thru this kid ..which is the most pathetic thing ever
That's ridiculous
Other than that, how was the movie?
Someone should have brought their 2nd amendment out that night. I’ve never left home without mine since I turned 18 😂
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
Veronica (the six year old) would have graduated from high school this year. This touched me because my eldest daughter just graduated high school. I can’t imagine not seeing her become the beautiful, amazing adult she is today. My heart breaks for all those that were lost but especially that little girl.
the one guy who shouted for people to get down possibly saved so many lives. such a tragic event but he was a hero rest in peace to those who died that day and praying to all who were affected by this tragedy 🥺
Exactly.
I bet most people had no clue what was going on
watched this the moment it dropped--this is the most in depth coverage of this scumbag i've ever seen. these video are far too well made, thank you for offering such intense coverage for free.
Two very dear people lost their daughter in this shooting. I sit here in tears with goosebumps head to toe as I lost my daughter to a shooting somewhere else. My son was randomly shot at also and missed by less than an inch. This video is so comprehensive my heart physically hurts.
@@chasnfireflies317 i know you probably hear it all the time, but i am sincerely so sorry for your loss and hardship and i am praying for you and your healing journey. you are incredibly strong.
@@deathheatedThank you. I will always honor my beautiful Katelyn, and in this man's wake, Jessica G. and all the others who were lost in this terrifying situation. They are in a safer, better, more beautiful place than us. I always appreciate every kind word, and prayer ♥︎ I sprinkle those everywhere
hey, nice pfp 😸
@stardisco I agree. I've noticed it before and it shows great taste.
Props to that second dispatcher who kept her words clear, concise, and offered advice on how to apply first aid. Can’t be an easy job, especially in situations like this.
No wonder they get PTSD. Stressful and horrific just sitting in your living room listening to these calls after the fact. Imagine that being your job, to try to help people as the horrific thing unfolds.
This is probably the best example of how a dispatcher should compose themselves during these stressful moments. Notice how she immediately tried to get as much information as possible from a panicked employee and was successful doing so
I was just thinking that! I really commend people who are emergency nurses, EMTs and 911 operators, I can't even imagine doing that every day. 😢
First dispatcher was incredibly incompetent/entitled
I agree..the first one was horrible..I can't hear you what's the address,?
Horrible
So many stories of people putting themselves between their loved ones and the horrific violence. Without hesitation, they decided if it's going to happen, it's going to happen to me.
Incredible. So much love.
I honestly think most Americans would cover their wife and children with themselves.
It really looks like had the system worked , police not following up on the tip from the counselor. ... and others it may have been avoided. Looks like the police did a good job with what they walked into...at least they went in...
Pretty goddamn disturbing that this dude could go to a psychiatrist and tell them he wants to take the lives of a lot of people, and share “constant homicidal thoughts”, and be noted as having a “high intention to act on them” and somehow stay under the radar..
Not to be that person but race has a lot to do with it
yeah….that psychiatrist had a duty to have him committed and treated. I don’t know much of the outcome of the trial bc I haven’t invested time with this case, but I’m interested to know if that psychiatrist had any charges.
@@paranoid_android33The psychiatrist reported him to the police. The police were informed of all that he said during those sessions. Did you briefly fall asleep watching this video?
@@bigbenji1194no it doesn't. Stop making everything a race issue, its fkn exhausting.
@@vangoghsseveredear no death penalty for 12 people killed and 57 injured and got looked past the cops after been reported by psychiatrists he’s dangerous. Got talked to like a baby in the interrogation room ..lmao yup no race issue here. 😂 clown
the genuine fear and panic in the voices of those calling for help made me burst into tears. i can’t imagine the horror of that day for the survivors
Without any evidence of these so called tears, your pity party is dismissed.
@@TheJoker-gg8hc you need to shut up.
Having empathy is a NORMAL human emotion
Genuinely what is wrong with you
You are not cool for being an absolute prick. Be a better person.
@@TheJoker-gg8hc without any sign of maturity, it's harder to get taken seriously. No matter how cynical or obnoxious you try to be.
'pity party'. Just wow.
Can I please make a request to toughen up. The world is only going to get worse. This election will bring about a lot of crazies. You will be “BURSTING into tears” on a regular basis if you don’t develop thick skin. Either that or move to a peaceful country where this type of stuff doesn’t happen
@@TheJoker-gg8hcwhat is wrong with you?
Dispatcher: “say it loud”
Caller: hangs up
Caller did the right thing at that point. Ma’am there’s an active shooter and you want me to yell?! wtf
Some dispatchers are sooo dumb
Fr I could hear exactly what he said at least once even over the gunshots.
@@DylanDurfee-u7s I agree, that dispatcher was dumb, but there were subtitles on the video. That makes it easy to hear or understand what they are saying. The dispatcher did not have subtitles.
They are robots. No matter what you think so are cops. They will tase someone and while that person is being tased they will say “stop resisting!” Even though initially that persons muscles are locked up and they are incapable of moving.
Sir, please turn the gun shots down, I can't hear you.
Lady at the beginning was wild bro. 😂 like “can you tell the shooter to please stop shooting so I can hear you?”
😂😂😂😊
I read that in Frank Drebins voice.
She said no such thing and there is nothing funny about it. Absolutely nothing.
@@CBright7831 are you retarded? I never said those were her words. I was talking about how she didn’t seem to care at all about the shooter being there because all she cared about was hearing the guy and almost seemed annoyed it was not more quiet. And it isn’t funny. It’s absurd. Are you being serious?
@@CBright7831shut up
I went to Gateway high school in Aurora Colorado. I lost several friends in the shooting. May God rest their souls . Especially AJ Boykin he saved his girlfriend from the hail of gunfire and sacrificed his life.
Sorry to hear about your loss but your friend was a genuine hero that day. May he rest peacefully and you can heal.
All the best Draven
So sorry for your loss 😢
I'm so sorry for your losses
Was AJ from Michigan originally?
I went on a date with a kid who’s best friend was shot in this shooting
Class of 2024… 😭😭😭 Veronica would have graduated this year. What a horrible loss for her family, and all the other families.
We're the same age. Couldn't imagine a 6 year old me being in that situation. Truly awful.
that is genuinely so heartbreaking, I'm graduating this year and knowing that she isn't gonna do the same makes me so sad :(
Damn that hits different rn sad she lost her life before she really got to live
Rip to all the ones who passed keep a gun with you at all times for situations like this
Her AND the Sandy Hook victims would’ve graduated this year…
The fact that the movie was still playing is terrifying to me. Like saying that they couldn’t tell what was a movie shot or a real shot. That made my blood go cold. These poor victims. I hope the rest in peace and the survivors can find some way to cope. Like hearing the 911 calls, I would literally never be able to talk about it again. Thank you EWU for giving them a chance to share their story
I thought the same thing. But as a counselor, my mind went to how insane life went for these victims from a fantasy movie of Batman showing up to protect and rescue a victim to them actually needing a real superhero to save them at that moment when the shooting started. Then the victims had to become their own superhero to save their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.
@jedidaforce2595 I'm a joker fan so f batman
The projection booth is not constantly manned like back in the days... Everything pretty much automated. Movie starts playing, no reason for anyone to be up in the booths. Also it's probably bunch of young teens working at the theatre. You expect one of them to heroically run towards the gunshots so they can hit pause?
I wonder what you would've done in the situation since you're an expert on telling the difference between a movie gun shot vs a real gun shot.
@@bydeuceWho are you responding to? I don’t see anyone saying they know the difference between real gunfire & movie gunfire OR that someone should have gone up to turn the projector off. ??
My mom was a 911 dispatcher in Aurora. There's a lot she still won't talk about...
As a Colorado native and used to live close to this theater, I appreciate you sharing the victims and families stories and not glorifying Holmes. I didn’t go to a movie for so long after this incident.
Do they still use the theater it happened in?
@@natalied662 yes, as far as I know.
I recently went to that theater not too long ago, exactly where it happened. I couldn’t even imagine being there that day. Now I look for exits everywhere I go, even more at the movies
@@analuciasamayoa8661 ohh gosh, yes I bet. Theater 9???
He was convicted of 24 counts of first degree murder when 12 died because, "For each person killed in the shooting, Holmes was charged with one count of murder with deliberation and one count of murder with extreme indifference."
The fact that the family members tax dollars are paying for his food and bed to sleep on is insane! Why would we keep people like this alive
@gunderalex, Thank you for the clarification!
@@waterishdrake8693people who never spent time in prison make this comment all the time a death sentence is like freedom compared to a life sentence
@@MyName-yl2nc Yup. I spent seven months inside and it was horrible. I've never been so depressed. Really straightened me up, and the thought of spending life in prison immediately makes me suicidal lol, I'd never be able to live that life.
@@MyName-yl2nc If that's true then why does every death row inmate try to get their deaths overturned by the courts.
My bestie was there with her son. They are extremely fortunate to have gotten out of the theater without physical injury, but the mental trauma for all of them remains.
I'm glad and so sorry. So sad 😢
I can’t imagine how she was feeling with her son. I’m so happy they are alive but the trauma the must live with.. im sorry.
I saw The Dark Knight Rises at the midnight release too. I came out of the theater with several missed calls from both my mom and dad. I immediately called back and could hear both my mom and dad worried beyond belief, and glad I was alright. It was probably sometime close to 3:00am. I live in Arizona. Not Colorado. They thought this was a nationwide planned attack. I can't imagine not have being able to call my parents and assure them I was alright. Rest in Peace to those who were taken too soon.
The same thing happened to me. My friends and I were in college and drove an hour away to a fancy IMAX theater for the midnight release.
At the time, we were playing a game called "Assassin", where a neutral player (liked a DnD dungeon master) assigns "targets" to all the players. This was something we did periodically and the games would last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Shortly before the movie started, one of my friends completed their assassination with a tiny plastic water gun hidden in a small bag of popcorn. We always tried to find funny ways to take out our targets, so this one in particular illicited a lot of laughs.
We only learned about the shooting when we left the theater, turned our phones back on, and saw the missed calls from our respective parents. Understandibly, that was also the last game of Assassin we ever played.
@@npc6340that's so sad. This scumbag ruined so many lives, even those who weren't in the cinema at the time 😢
I am also sad such a friendly game you played is now associated with this horrible night. Wish you the best and the OP too 🙏
@npc6340 nobody cares about your stupid game
Oh God, I felt the suffering of your parents (I am one) I assure you it was terrible. Glad your ok and your parents are well ❤️🩹
I’m legitimately surprised AZ hasn’t had an event like this our extremely lax gun* laws
why is literally nobody talking about johnathan? mad respect for him , he sacrificed himself for his girlfriend so she can live on and tell her story❤ rest in peace to the victims.
When I saw that Veronica would be graduating high school this year, I broke down so hard. Rest in Peace, beautiful baby girl, and may her family be okay.
It's literally stomach turning. Poor baby..
That hit me hard also. So many new experiences were stolen from his little one.
@@mariemurphy2690I know. I'm sick to my stomach. I don't understand one thing though if Veronica was supposed to be graduating high school why do they have a picture of her in her cap and gown and she looks like she's only about 12 years old. Can anyone explain that for me
Guess she has to wait next year
@@Pebbles523 I’m not sure where you’re from but places I grew up in the US, we always did these little graduations every few years, I always see a kindergartener one, a middle school one and a highschool one; it kinda gives the kids a taste of what the real thing will be life! Encouragement to get there! That was probably her send off picture to middle school😭
This channel is so far above every other true crime channel. Don't get me wrong, i love my smaller channels, but EWU seems to have content _no one else_ has.
I was just telling my husband this 😅 I was like WHO DO THEY KNOW?!?! How do they get all of this footage?!?! I even work in forensics and EWU goes above and beyond anyone out there. It’s wild. So incredible too. They truly put so much work into these.
Amen I love this Tru crime channel
@@ChocolateEClaire16_FOIA requests I’m thinking…
I appreciate the narrator's voice, and how he tells the story in a controlled manner. I can't listen to certain other crime channels where the narrator uses an over-the-top dramatically animated voice to tell of an already dramatic enough situation.
I live 5 minutes away from the theatre. I still remember that night like it was yesterday. The amount of cops we saw flying past our house was just insane. It was hard for any of us to ever go back to that theatre again.
I still haven't been back. I don't think I'll ever step foot in there again
Is it still a theatre?
@@33Jenesis Yep
@@dissraps Are you actually that dense? You sound like an 11 year old kid. Embarrassing comment.
I’ve not ever been to a movie theater that was ever anything even close to how chaotic this theatre was BEFORE The Event even happened.
That’s crazy AF
The energy was already Wild
That’s a trip
What still makes me sick is that he sat in amongst the happy people, everyone excited well before the movie started, probably heard the man who was shouting out the countdown, heard young kids giggling and people munching their snacks... all the while knowing he was going to try and kill as many of them as possible. It must be horrific for the survivors to think about, knowing he was sitting there like a wolf in sheep's clothing... biding his time.
Im pretty sure he said at the end that he was preparing the parking lot door and then wait in his car for the movie to start
When I clicked play, I had no idea this would be about the Theater shooting. I'm from Aurora. I spent so much time at that theater through my childhood. Even as a young adult, I had recently watched a movie there only a few weekends prior, as I had many friends and family who still lived in Aurora (I had moved to Denver). I woke up early the next morning, to the news of what happened. Spent time trying to make sure friends and family were accounted for. Then, I found out he killed someone in my friend group from High School. Sully (Alex Sullivan) was such a kind soul. As a result of this tragic event, his father entered politics, and years later is now part of the Colorado Senate.
It's been over a decade, and it still hurts. I can't bring myself to watch this, but I hope this does help bring a sense of understanding and some semblance of justice for all of the lives that were so senselessly taken that day. A-Town 💔
I was in combat medic school the day this shooting happened. We listened to the radios live as this was happening. It was heartbreaking. Our sergeants turned it into a lesson I will never forget.
O wow sad 😢
A lesson in sitting around until your command is given to act
I’m from the UK and was wondering if you know if a person is reported to the police by a doctor or psychiatrist it triggers an alert and a process is in place if they’re a gun owner so they can be removed for safety reasons.
@@1972dsrai that’s how it’s supposed to work. But our police have been so under funded, they aren’t able to enforce their laws anymore.
@@1972dsrai no. These are called "red flag laws" in the states. They are shot down (pun) when they come up. I'm not a lawyer so I don't know exactly what it can and cannot do. I AM a gun owner/licensed/insured/ect however, but in my state I agree that the laws are pretty lax.
I have never cried listening to a true crime video, but hearing the calls brought instant tears to my eyes. Just imaging all of the emotions running through this video is heart shattering. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live through this.
Me too. This is a heart wrenching video. I can’t believe evil like this exists.
“Anything they would’ve done or pursued gets canceled out and given to me.” - an actual MONSTER
That was chillingly evil. What a demon.
Yeah but even if that logic did make sense, what's he doing with that now? It's not like he's out there doing the things that those 12 people could have done in life. I don't understand the logic.
@trustworthydan And they say he has a high IQ. IQ is honestly meaningless, I think social intelligence is the most important kind of intelligence and guys like this lack it in any respect. So they come up with meaningless dumbass bullshit like this and end up spending their lives in prison bc they're such delusional morons.
Severely deluded
Im used to mentally ill people and often can see where they are coming from but i dont understand his logic on that one.
Maybe he watched the anime death note before ... thats basically this case in a nutshell but other than in the anime, he doesnt gain life span from it
The sad part the psychiatrist tried to warn the officials about him, and they did nothing about it until it was too late.
What are they supposed to do? We don't arrest on pre-crime.
@@BelleFlower15 conspiracy to commit.
@@BelleFlower15 if someone says to a lawyer or doctor or even a confessional clergy they feel like they want to kill or anything like that they are required to report it.
@@timetraveler1973 ONLY if they have a plan and a target. He devulged neither, so there was nothing to report. If young people cannot talk to someone about wanting to kill people, who will they talk to? Or will they just make a plan and pick a target?
@@youbetyourwrasse not true. expressing self harm desires may not require reporting to authority. expressing HOMICIDE desires doctors and everyone are required to report.
This is why I have pretty much watched all of your videos. The depth, the care, and the professionalism is astounding. I heard an anonymous survivor story regarding this mass shooting, and I have always wanted more information like the why and how-and you delivered. 👏🏻 I make it my mission to listen to victim stories, hoping that they know someone is truly listening-and sincerely cares. Your production of this video conveys such genuineness. Thank you.
I'd just like to bring to yall's attention that one of the victims was pregnant, and her unborn child is (or should be) included in the death toll as well. But as an Aurora native, thank you for covering this story and shedding light in a respectful way. 💜
Thank you for caring for that little one. 💔❤️
They are treated as animals by law ( atleast in Europe ) as far as i know.
Probably the same in America
@@SenkoVT I’m sorry, what? Where in Europe?
@@justapanpirate in germany an unborn child is treated the same as a pet ( your dog for example )
@@SenkoVTYep, same in America. Here we blame Democrats, as well as this post-modern hellscape that sees children being given puberty blockers to “transition”, and men being demonized for their masculinity. I was born in 1979, and I no longer recognize the country I live in. My thoughts go to the murdered baby that my country sees as less than human.
Thank you so much for giving a platform to survivors, I hope we can all learn to be better to each other.
This was probably the best crime video I've ever seen. The focus on the survivor's stories and lives helped show a rarely seen part of these horrible things that happened- so often the focus is on the perpetrator and it can glamorise them and their cruelty. I don't think a person who has watched this video would ever think of the perpetrator in any positive sense ever again.
unfortunate for you to think that
I think about this happening *EVERY* time I go to the movies (which isn’t often anymore).
Me too, not even the movies but anywhere at any place. You always have to be cautious.
Same here. I'm always hypervigilant to my surroundings for this reason. Can't trust anyone.
Most people aren't going to the theaters because the movies coming out all SUCK
Same. I always watch people and think of escape. It’s sad people can’t just go to a movie anymore without worrying of this but it’s how people in the world are and it’s sickening
Yep. I can't even smell popcorn without looking for the exits
You guys did a wonderful job focusing on the victims in this. Thank you for your considerate and humane coverage of this despicable horror
This is probably one of your videos I've struggled the most to make it through. Excellent coverage, the stories from the victims had me shaking and as an empathetic person it was hard not to feel truly terrified for the experiences they went through. I knew of the shooting but I had no clue the magnitude of horror these innocent souls went through, and now I'll never forget. Thank you for helping us understand what makes a monster and how to look out for them.
the conversation with him at the end is truly the most terrifying thing i’ve ever watched. it feels so menacing, yet its not purposeful..he’s just a genuinely horrifying human.
His eyes creep me tf out. Like there’s nothing behind them
The scariest part to me is that he told the girl who tried to be friends with him that he was 'bad news' & to 'stay away from him'. Can u imagine her feeling after learning what he did? Also he is sick and twisted, but in a sense he was asking for help too. It's so hard to figure out where his mind is at. Scary. Rip to the victims
@@aripandaz1991
You seen the photo of his pupils being dilated?
He looks like a grey alien
@@MissKerriAnn
I think hes probably possessed.
And he needed solace.
Props to the girl who just dove into it, said "okay" when the operator was giving instructions for helping her friend all the while having to tell the lady "there's people shot all around me"
She kept it together so well
exactly, when she said that my mental image changed suddenly, she was so calm that I thought she was in a safer spot or something... really impressive
He, just like every other shooter, wants to be remembered. And we give it to them. Every media channel in existence talks about the shooters, their childhood, their academic pursuits, their jobs, what their lives were like, explores their mental states in depth, shows their pictures, interviews people that knew them, on and on and on.
People will keep shooting as long as they get this kind of attention.
I agree. I think their names should be withheld, and their families barred from discussing the details or making any profit from their actions.
Then why are you watching the video
Also I'm pretty sure spree killings/mass murder existed before the media so
@ morbid curiosity tbh. I just don't get it. It's such a weird phenomenon that it's hard to not wonder and look for answers/reasons even if it's just "they're batshit insane"
Yep. Look at Mark Chapman, the killer of John Lennon.
He said that he's mentally sound and wanted to be famous hence why he killed John.
This was one of the hardest videos of yours I've watched, it is SO well done and thorough but I was in tears the entire time. It feels impossible to comprehend the devastation. My heart aches for the victims and their families.
Although I feel very badly for the innocent people who went through so much during this incident and after, I thought they did a horrible job on this video because it left out so much and even added in accurate information
This was the most heartbreaking video. The fact that she would have graduated this is broke me.
I can’t imagine what the survivors, the staff, the dispatchers, the medics, literally everyone has to deal with mentally now. My heart breaks for every one of them.
This was a very well done video and I appreciate your focus on the victims and saying their names.
I can feel the terror through the screen, RIP to all the people of lost their lives that day. I hope survivors and family members are able to heal knowing the killer is in jail ❤️
Some of them will always have that what if he breaks out of prison thought? It's sad, but it's true
I love your channel. And I’m getting annoyed that ppl are taking your videos and putting them on tiktok without credits to yall. I know yall put a lot of time and resources into these videos. We appreciate you ewu crew!
That's why I HATE TicTok.... people just steal other people's shit and try to get 'famous'. These so-called 'stars' will be nowhere in the future. Dime a dozen.
I will never forget this night. I had plans to go but I ended up grounded. I’ve never been more happy to be grounded in my life.
What did you do to get grounded, girl lol? I love that for you.
Thank your mom or you could’ve been mush right now. Scary
I'm sure that happened
@@DautFromX I mean I feel like that's not THAT crazy of a story to not be true lol
🧢
I've heard this story 100s of times and never have I been so captivated as I was in this video. I cried like 10 times.... Thank you EWU for letting the survivors speak.
Yes!! Wonderful video. Riveting and had me on the edge of my seat in horror and wonder for the human condition.
Me too.
I thought: "at the movies?" 😭😔
I worked for the same theater chain a few years after this happened. We talked about it in our training and learned all the details of his plan, and had a lot of security measures before and after each showing that constantly had this event in my head. We always checked doors multiple times and I was afraid I would push on an emergency door one day and it would swing right open, since he had propped the door not to latch. Big movie releases were scary, because I worried any packed theater was a target. The event was traumatizing just to hear about, but working in the theater and such a thing being a possibility causes me to still feel anxious in theaters today. I'm always tempted to check the doors. I do if no one else is there. And I think of my escape plan and choose my seats wisely. It was my first job and my first wake up call of how messed up it is that we feel like there's a predator in the grass at all times, and that feeling that way is now necessary in a lot of roles.
Our ruling class has decided this will be normal.
Frankly, I believe we have all wondered about someone committing a copycat crime in a packed theater after James Holmes.
❤❤❤
Shout out to these psychologists that take the time to hear these sick peoples words of horror and staying calm. I can’t imagine the strength it takes to know the person you’re speaking with killed people/children with zero remorse. I could never stomach that.
I was not in this theater. But I was in another theater watching the same movie while it happened. I remember getting out of the theater and turning my phone back on to dozens of calls from my mom cause the same movie I was watching was being shot up in another theater. I spoke with a survivor not to far back and it's horrifying what they went through. Holmes is a monster. I hope the survivors are doing well, and I hope they're Healing well. I know it's not anything they can fully heal from, but hopefully they can heal as well as they can.
OMG, hope you know you're so lucky, friend. 😔
It's kinda something that you are right about... The information is important to get out there to see just who is capable of this type of thing. They are doing a better job...I couldn't tell you who tried to shoot Trump ... That could just be the media though.
I'm from Denver Co. I was at that theater earlier that day. Century 16 is still a movie theater with that specific theater people died in as a memorial for the victims. A sad piece of my city but thank you ewu for telling the story. Stay safe in this world
What is the memorial like?
@@itsjustlaurel1531 you don't access inside the theater but outside the theater there's a big plaque that has the name a picture of each victim
Oh so they never opened that theatre back up? 🥺 it’s so heartbreaking 💔
@LilAnnieFloobit the theater is still open just not the room where the shooting took place
OMG 😭
It always touches you more when survivors share their story. No one is stronger than someone who survives anything
This one was tough for me to get through..I was supposed to be there that night. I had purchased a ticket, but after working a double and still being exhausted after a Power Nap, I decided to stay home and continue sleeping. So my best friend went with another friend instead. Her friend was shot in the neck, but luckily survived. I also had friends and coworkers in the theater next door who all suffered from severe ptsd afterwards. Watching this, I realized there was a lot that I mentally blocked from this whole event and everything afterwards. My heart still goes out to all of those that night.
I remember being inside a theater watching Cloverfield which was like that really immersive, suspenseful film when an emergency happened. It was not a shooting, but it was a fire. Everyone was so engaged with the movie that we thought the emergency was part of the film too. The sirens in the film were like the alarms in real life mixing together. I remember that some people even refused to believe the emergency and not leave the room. When we are in the theaters, we really let guard down
This episode was so well done. I remember this happening and not really hearing anything about why it happened. Thank you for doing the research to expose everything about this case.
"The following footage has been analyzed by a qualified team..." i get the chills. Is insane the quality of the material you guys get and make, thanks for bringing material like this to light.
Lmao corny af
The way the son comforts his mom who is reliving that terrible event is heartwarming.
So crazy. I went to this theater before it happened. I don't really like going to movies anymore. Concerts are scary now too. Schools. Stores. It's hella depressing. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of these people. Little Veronica's mom had me choked up. 😢
I know what you mean!!! I've never been more aware of my surroundings and reading people than I am now when I'm in public places!! It wears me out!!
I recommend not living in America :(
@@springfauna1465 it's exhausting! We should not be in fight or flight leaving our homes. 😢
Vote for candidates who want to regulate gun ownership, including keeping them away from mentally ill/unstable people and Universal Background Checks. These kind of attacks are negatively-impacting Americans in EVERY STATE and it's a lot more than killing people. Gun incidents cause multiple school and workplace shut-downs, causing kids to lose out on education and business clients to lose or delay work. Victims of gun violence may suffer many days in the hospital and have life-altering injuries that require a lot of rehab care. They may have to give up their own schools/jobs due to PTSD and/or serious injury. Many will need ongoing counseling for PTSD and depression. We can't afford to do nothing. We are the only country in the world that allows mass access to guns, which were never originally for civilian use (AR15's etc). Certain GOP states have passed insane laws allowing anyone to carry a gun without training, a background check or permit. The now extremist GOP party of "law and order" puts more importance on the right to bear arms than its own people. 😪😵💫 The people need to elect those who are willing and able to put people before guns.
@@PeacheIIe I agree. If I could move elsewhere, I absolutely would
An hour long? Love it. Please more Crime Storytime videos!!! I know they are probably harder to make than interrogation videos, but they're so worth it.
Thank you as always for quality research and presentation. You're the best of the best, EWU!
Thank you for the support! ❤
This entire thing is heartbreaking. When he told the responder on the phone “just notify all hospitals that we got people coming in” that’s when I broke out into tears. I know that over 70 people were injured, but oh my god.
I don’t usually cry at these things, but hearing those statements at the end of the video, made my heart hurt. I hope everyone is on their way to healing and gets the help they deserve ❤
Such a devastating event that I've heard before but this channel gave it a new life in giving the important details I didn't have before. Hearing the interviews of the people who were survivors of this tragedy was integral to get the real emotion and terror experienced in that theatre. RIP to all those murdered in this tragic event.
Thank you for giving those who survived this horrendous event a chance to tell their story, it's important in the healing process. Now i have suffered a lot of past traumas of different types & this is hard for even myself to listen to, so i want the survivors to know how brave they are to relive this life altering event. I'm also really sorry for all those who didn't survive, I'm not going to say anything about the man who did it because i haven't got anything nice to say about him.
I specifically remember this story, glad to gain some insight after all these years, thanks for not allowing this story to fade away like the media did, I was really concerned all the way from Detroit Michigan 😢❤💪🏽 I send out strength to those who survived, love to those who we lost, I always wondered how DC responded that would have been a nice touch but anyway thanks again
You know, I thought I could do it, but I remember hearing about the events too clearly the next day. I made it about 7 minutes in. Kudos to you for focusing on the families, and much love to your efforts on these videos.
Bless this man Anggiat Mora for telling his story in English despite it not being his first language. Everyone who had the courage to revisit this event deserves many hugs. My stomach literally hurts watching this video so I cannot imagine the horror these people still live with every day.
"There's a shooting at the mall, it sounds routine..." This statement personifies modern America.
Wrong lol in my 35 years i never even seen a gun other then friends that went shooting at the range sooooo
I think they meant like two idiots with guns were shooting at eachother at the mall, I don’t think they thought it was a mass shooting.
That was my first thought too when he said that
@@WayneTwitch you're just one person. Last I checked, the US has a population of over 250 million people 😂
@@christianmcbrearty Its over you're head bud lol
I really like how respectful this documentary was, great job
“It wasn’t as common as it is nowadays” speaking about active mass shooters….that just hit me so hard. 😢
Same😢. The comment right before yours was posted 4hrs like yours based off when I'm seeing this. They had a similar thing to say. Talk about coincidence..
@@lichiehrbgosh 😢😢😢
It started with Columbine and just got worse from there. We did have our tragedies in the 80s as well with events like the McDonald's massacre in the early 80s. It wasn't common, but it happened. Now, it happens about twice a year.
@@desertweasel6965 way more than that. In 2023 there were 82 school shootings. Already now in 2024 there’s been 13. It’s so sad. So so sad. Colombine is still engraved in my brain 😔
That's what happens when the media makes these people instantly famous.@@desertweasel6965
Love that you have the interviews with survivors in the video, it's a nice touch and I hope they can heal as much as possible :/
Caller: "I'm being stabbed to death."
Dispatcher: "What color shirt is he wearing? Are you bleeding? Can you talk louder while you're being killed so I can understand you?"
😂😂😂
dispatchers are meant to keep the person talking for as long as possible to make sure they are still alive lol
@@spook5223 What does that achieve lmao
@@ashkaash9819 google is free, but its literally to make sure the person is alive
Never ceases to amaze me the stupid questions these dispatchers ask in critical emergences when every second counts, I'm not sure who does their training??? but it's not great,- when you consider they are dealing with life and death situations. It has got to improve!
This is the best and most informative video about this awful crime. Thank you for letting the victims/survivors speak. This story broke me many times, but I appreciate it being told.
There were many heroes that day that deserve to still be here. RIP to all lives lost ❤
All of your content is always great, but this is incredibly done with such respect. Thank you for honoring the victims and allowing the survivors to tell the story.
That was a busy day for the medical workers and hospitals, appreciate them for doing their best 🙏🏽
Thank you for being so respectful to the victims and their loved ones.
What’s crazy is I remember when this happened. I was like 8-10 and I was gonna go with my Uncle, Cousin, and brother, but all because I didn’t really like Batman I didn’t want to go watch it which made my uncle think “well if you ain’t gonna go, none of us will.” My brother and cousin got mad.. I’m glad.
I'm a Colorado local, also went to a midnight showing of this movie over in another city a couple miles away that night. Hearing the news later that night was a crazy feeling.
literally listened to someone that was in this case and it was horrific. Hearing her perspective is just so upsetting.
what do you mean? you knew someone from there??? thank you for sharing
EWU you did a wonderful job breaking this case down.
Even after 10+ years I can't imagine what these families live through today. Thank you for sharing their stories too.
Whenever I hear about this case I think about Jessica Ghawi, who survived the Eaton Centre shooting in Toronto just to lose her life in this shooting. So sad.
He says he was playing music so loud that he couldn’t hear the gun shots. Yet he says he knows he hit the first person because he heard a scream.
Killer who also lies?
CAN. NOT. BE.
@@LukeSumIpsePatremTebut like whats the point of lying hes never gonna be free again lmao
The quality this channel puts out is amazing!!
Why are 911 operators all deaf !!
And why so concerned with the address!?! You say to any cop it’s the theater at blank mall or whatever and they’ll know. God damn!
i am not deaf
@@domoetker3967?
maybe its a technique,so the caller would repeat the address they might say the wrong address because of panic. a calmer caller who repeats the address is better. idk just speculating
@@ArthurDentt-l6j exactly my comment. Anyone and everyone from the Denver metro area knows exactly where that theater is. Especially cops. So freaking stupid to ask for an address. All she had to do was dispatch it as the theater. Every cop in the city would have known where it's at.
Rip Veronica. You would’ve graduated this year. We love you and you were so brave baby ❤❤
I didn’t see anyone say this but let me just say.
The amount of effort and time taken to create this video is really wow! The interviews, the analysis, the scripts, the narration, all top notch. Kudos to EWU Crime Storytime. Hope to see more from you guys 🥰
I can't believe that I only recently discovered this channel...by far the best true crime content on UA-cam, thank you for your hard work 😊
I’m normally not too emotional when it comes to my day-to-day life, but I was almost brought to tears while hearing those phone calls with chaos surrounding those scared people. I couldn’t even begin to imagine their emotions in that situation. RIP to all of the victims from this horrific event.
Whoever the dispatcher was …. They need to be retrained because why would you tell the victim to “say it loud” . That could cost them their life & blow their cover .
As a first responder who has been heavily trained on MCI’s, knowing that baby if she was unresponsive would not be top priority in a situation this big, is devastating. That would be the day i break all protocols
Agreed, that's what I kept thinking about with each call, including the calls from the responders saying, "I've got 2 ... I've got 1 ... I've got 7!". Thinking, how are they going to be assigned? 😭
@@casondrastinson8525 we now have a color system where we tag people as we see them. I dont know how it worked back then. But the people who are stable get green, they’ll be transported when there is availability. Yellow is moderately injured but not about to die, think shot in the arm or leg with no major arteries hit. Red is first to be taken to the hospital and those are the people that are going to be dead but are still alive. And the last category is black, they are already dead or have no chance of survival upon arrival. They will not be transported, CPR will not be performed unless everyone else is already taken care of and they have enough responders.
That first 911 call was atrocious. I heard him clearly where he was and the operator kept saying "I need the address". What an incompetent person.
Obviously there's more to it then. Just cus you heard it, it doesn't mean that he or she could hear it well
yes because the calls are totally not enhanced they totally don’t have subtitles and they could totally turn up the volume on the call on a damn landline😂
You had subtitles and context. She did not.
I agree with both sides of everything above. The emergency operator is absolutely incompetent. It's an active shooter and you want the caller to give away their position to said shooter? Umm ok, I think the operators one braincell was asleep that night.
And also the operator very likely didn't hear anything clearly because it was a phone call with a lot of noise happening possibly not only in the auditorium but also in the call center itself at the time. We have enhanced sound here, so it's not logical or fair at all for you to say "I heard" or the word "clearly" in any way.
I was a 911 dispatcher for a few years (burnout is real).I can honestly say that the first dispatcher was inadequate. She obviously was not able to handle the stress at all.
I remember this happening... still so sad and disturbing. I have never felt safe in a movie theater since this happened.
I feel you, but reality is that this can happen in a supermarket even. Anywhere. 😢
Never felt safe in America. end of story. I'd never leave my house
This may very well be the most thorough and respectuful coverage of this case i have ever seen.
i can't imagine the pain of going through this, the terror. may the families heal, may the passed rest in peace, especially the young veronica.
Better to imagine living in a country that doesn't hand out guns like candy.
@@sheilaboston7051 obviously yes. That’s the biggest problem, how easy it is to get a gun. But every time they introduce a new bill it gets shot down and people go nuts over it like there has to be some middle ground. Like how many lives need to be lost, especially children’s lives before they go okay, screw the amendment, and do something about it?
Interviewing killers like this can provide so much information to better understand how to see warning signs to prevent future killing sprees. I find this so interesting, the mind of a killer.
I think the saddest thing is that the countdown guy never got to watch the movie 😥😥😥
The fact that a shooting at the mall would be considered "routine" is a damning indictment of the situation in America.
I’d never live anywhere I couldn’t carry a gun. Ever.
@@nightshadegatito actually there alot of countrys where you legally can buy guns ..but its only Amurica where "Shool Shootings " are kinda something like a weather phenomena
@@hossosplitternacken7819 I trust the mass media only to be corrupt and to be accurate incidentally. To want to destroy a school seems kind of natural to me, as schools are a place of extreme trauma to human beings, and America is often a place of lonely people who do not pay much attention to children and families. I’ll never leave my beloved country.
@@nightshadegatito no one asked
@@denisehagwood4542 nor were you asked
I've seen a couple of other channels cover this case, but yours, as usual, was the most in-depth. Hearing the witness testimonies, hearing more of those 911 calls, and listening to how the families grieve was difficult to get through. I can only imagine the horror everyone in theater 9 experienced that day. What's difficult to process is the lack of care the campus police took with all the warnings hos psychiatrist presented them. It's a tale as old as time in this country. No one with higher authority cares until it's too late. Even then, it's shrugged off.