Colo. theater lacked security, unlike some peers

DENVER (AP) – The Colorado movie theater complex that was the scene of a gunman’s massacre didn’t have any uniformed security guards on duty the night of the shooting, even though other theaters operated by the same company did provide such protection for the busy opening night of the Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.”

It’s impossible to know whether guards – often off-duty police officers – at the Aurora Century 16 would have spotted the suspected gunman, James Holmes, and thwarted the attack that left 12 moviegoers dead and dozens wounded on July 20. Cinemark provided off-duty police guards at the Aurora theater on busy Friday and Saturday nights.

As for other nights, theater operators decide on a case-by-case basis whether to hire security, depending on the likelihood of trouble.

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