A gunman fired randomly into a crowded movie theater in Denver Colorado for the screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” At least 12 people and children were killed during this senseless attack.

The 24-year-old has now been identified as James Holmes (pictured above) who is currently in custody. A San Diego woman identified herself as James Holmes’ mother told ABC News, “You have the right person. I need to call the police… I need to fly out to Colorado.”

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At a midnight showing early this morning, wearing all-black and donning a gas mask, Holmes threw an unknown gas into the crowded theater before silently shooting people at random.

“I told my friend `we’ve got to get out of here,’ but then he shot people trying to go out the exits,” witness Jennifer Seeger said. Another witness recounted the terror as he saw a young girl getting shot in the face and another in the stomach.

Officers later found the gunman next to a car behind the theater. “A gas mask, rifle, handgun at least one additional weapon (were) found inside,” a police officer said.

The suspect calmly told officers that he had explosives in his car and home, which prompted a bomb squad to evacuate the area surrounding Holmes’ apartment. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that the apartment is booby-trapped and filled with buckets of ammunition and chemicals.

“It’s an apartment building, that we have evacuated and we are dealing with the potential that there are explosives inside there,” an officer explained.

Aurora Police chief Dan Oates added that it could take hours or days to safely enter the apartment.

Victims are now being treated from gunshot wounds and chemical exposure, stemming from the canister thrown by the gunman. The youngest surviving victim is a 6-year-old who is now in critical condition at the Children’s Hospital in Colorado.

James Holmes is now in police custody; no other information has been released.

This has been the worst mass shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 where two students opened fire and killed 12 classmates and a teacher before committing suicide.

A moment of silence for the victims of this senseless tragedy.