One year ago, on July 20, 2012, James Holmes burst in to a crowded theater of people eager to see last summer's most anticipated movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," and opened fire killing 12 people and injuring an additional 70. A year later the Colorado town of Aurora is still grieving and trying to make sense of the incident.
The anniversary is being used as an opportunity to discuss the role guns should play in our society, a discussion that almost always ends up becoming heated. A vigil organized by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control advocacy group Mayors Against Illegal Guns on Friday night became a point of contention for guns-rights activists, according to the New York Daily News.
"Mayor Bloomberg is using this tragedy and walking all over graves to get to the microphone," Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, said.
Alongside the vigil in Cherry Creek State Park was a small demonstration by guns-rights activists who hold the belief that stricter gun laws is the opposite of what is needed after the tragedy.
"It's also a tragedy that a firearm was not allowed to be used inside that theater that may have prevented that tragedy," Rob Blancken told CNN.
The vigil included a ceremonial reading of the names of thousands of victims from gun violence, including those who lost their lives in Aurora. Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed during the shooting, participated in the event.
"A guy walked into a movie theater with a 100-round drum, and one second my son was watching a movie and the next second he was dead," Sullivan told CNN.
Since the death of his son Sullivan has become an advocate for stricter gun laws. A non-profit group called Aurora Rise was founded by Sullivan in order to help victims of the shooting, according to Reuters.
Sullivan also issued a statement through Mayors Against Illegal Guns about what he feels should be done.
"I will be there to honor the memory of my son and those killed in the Aurora theater, as well as victims of gun violence across the country," the statement read. "There is an urgent need for action on common-sense gun policies nationwide, just like we have begun here in Colorado."
James Holmes's trial is expected to start in February 2014. Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the many counts of murder and attempted murder with which he is charged, reports Reuters.
