Security at the heart of a civil trial stemming from the Aurora Theater shooting

By SADIE GURMAN, Associated Press

Nine months after the Colorado theater shooter was sentenced to life in prison, some victims are returning to the same courtroom in hopes of holding the suburban Denver movie theater accountable for not doing more to prevent his bloody rampage.

In a civil trial starting Monday, 28 victims’ families will argue that Century Theaters should have had armed guards at the packed opening of the Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises.” They argue the theater should have had alarms that would have sounded when James Holmes slipped into the auditorium and opened fire, killing 12 and injuring 70. The three-week trial will determine whether Century is liable.

Century says in court filings that it could not have foreseen the attack.

Plaintiff’s attorney Marc Bern says the theater should have anticipated the possibility for violence and taken more precautions.