The Latest: Lawyer: Theater couldn’t have stopped gunman

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The Latest on a lawsuit against the owner of a Colorado movie theatre where 12 were killed (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

An attorney for the owner of the Colorado theatre where James Holmes opened fire says the gunman was a heavily armed “mad genius” determined to kill and couldn’t have been stopped.

Lawyer Kevin Taylor said in opening arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit against Cinemark that the company couldn’t have known the risk of a mass shooting.

He disputed victims’ allegations that the theatre chain’s lax security allowed for the July 2012 shooting that killed 12 in suburban Denver. He says Cinemark’s procedures were in line with industry standards.

Taylor says crime was falling nationwide and that Aurora was named one of Forbes’ top 10 safest cities around the time of the shooting, which happened at the premiere of a Batman movie.

He says opening nights are known to draw well-behaved crowds, and the theatre had never before seen major problems during a premiere.

___

10:20 a.m.

Attorneys for victims of the Colorado movie theatre shooting say widespread security failures allowed for the attack that killed 12.

Lawyer Marc Bern says the suburban Denver theatre should have had armed guards during the packed midnight premiere of a Batman movie, where at least 1,000 people were expected. He made his opening statement Tuesday in a lawsuit against theatre owner Cinemark.

Bern says the theatre also lacked silent alarms that would have sounded before gunman James Holmes slipped into the crowded theatre and opened fire.

Among other problems, Bern says Holmes cased the theatre months before the shooting and chose it because of its lax security.

Twenty-eight victims are suing the Texas-based theatre chain in state court in Centennial, alleging it should have foreseen the July 2012 shooting.

___

9:35 a.m.

Opening statements are underway in a civil trial over whether the company that owns a Colorado movie theatre should have done more to prevent a 2012 shooting there.

Attorneys were making their case Tuesday morning before six jurors and two alternates begin hearing testimony in the case against Cinemark. Jurors will be asked to decide whether, in an age of mass shootings, the company should have foreseen the shooting that left 12 dead and more than 70 others injured.

Twenty-eight victims and their families are suing the theatre company in state court. Their lawsuit says Cinemark should have had silent alarms and armed guards at the packed midnight premiere of a Batman film, where James Holmes launched his attack.

Holmes was sentenced last year to life in prison

___

4:05 a.m.

Opening statements are set to begin in a civil trial over whether the company that owns a Colorado movie theatre should have done more to prevent a 2012 shooting there.

Attorneys will deliver their statements Tuesday morning before six jurors and two alternates begin hearing testimony in the case against Cinemark. Jurors will be asked to decide whether, in an age of mass shootings, the company should have foreseen the shooting that left 12 dead and more than 70 others injured.

Twenty-eight victims and their families are suing the theatre company in state court. Their lawsuit says Cinemark should have had silent alarms and armed guards at the packed midnight premiere of a Batman film, where James Holmes launched his attack.

Holmes was sentenced last year to life in prison.

____

This story has been corrected with the updated time for item on the plaintiffs’ opening statements.