For the past few weeks I have been providing analysis of the mass shooting that took place in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012 at the premier of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. This analysis has been pieced together using recordings of both police and fire dispatch channels as well as many eye witness testimony as reported on local and national news in the hours and days following the event. What started out as a simple question (i.e. how do you identify a shooter in full tactical gear) has now turned into a full potential conspiracy theory when multiple shooters and evidence of multiple shooters began to emerge.
As a conspiracy theorist however, the hairs on the back of my neck arose when multiple suspects are seen fleeing the theater and then immediately afterwards a significant change in the command happens for both for the police and fire departments and James Holmes is announced as the sole shooter. Why now? What has changed in the last few moments to warrant a change in command for both police and fire other than additional suspects were just seen fleeing the parking lot? Let’s examine this more closely.
Just seconds ago, police unit 249 broadcast the following question on air, “Ok, I’m assuming we’re waking up everybody, right?”
The dispatcher for Aurora PD quite matter of factly responds, “Yes sir.”
This in itself is a very odd transmission. Why is the Aurora dispatcher confirming that it’s time to wake everybody up? It doesn’t seem to be a dispatchers call to make. And what exactly does it mean “wake everybody up?”
After hearing the Aurora PD dispatcher confirm that it’s time to wake everybody up, Unit 249 then simply responds, “OK”
Police dispatch then reports, “Lieutenant,, the fire chief has been notified.”
Now remember, just seconds ago, at 1:05 am MST, the acting fire chief on site (Engine Eight) announced that they were changing their name from “Century Command” to “Aurora Mall Command” and asks from this point forward to be referred to as “Aurora Mall Command”. One has to wonder what exactly the fire chief has been notified of. Clearly something is happening.
As a conspiracy theorist, these statements strikes me as the most odd of all. IF there were multiple shooters and IF there were a coverup planned to conceal that fact, then perhaps the changing of command or names of command is a signal to someone that a certain phase of the operation is over (i.e. the other suspects are now clear of the scene). Remember, we just heard that additional suspects were seen booking out of the parking lot moments ago. All this sounds really nuts and I don’t expect you to believe Police and Fire were somehow in on a covert operation but there is MUCH more coming that could change your mind about that so just file this away in the memory bank and remember what happens here.
July 20, 2012, 1:06 am
It is now 1:06 am and Unit 249 has just asked if it they are now waking everybody up. He then issues the following orders as if starting a new phase of the operation, “Ok, thank you and from now on the command is in front of the theater.”
Dispatch confirms, “Copy. Command in front of the theater now.”
First off, notice how formal this statement is, “Ok, thank you and from now on command is in front of the theater.” It’s as if the officer is addressing a new set of listeners to the events of the evening. Why? I’m also curious how a unit with a standard three-digit patrol number and not a lieutenant’s two-digit number has the authority to move the police command location. Thirdly, what has changed? Why move command now? And why the comment, “Thank you,” as if he is now officially taking over the scene? Fourthly, why has fire’s “Century Command” just changed their name to “Aurora Mall Command” and why has the police suddenly moved their command post to the front of the theater? Just what the hell has happened in the last 60 seconds that warrants the fire department changing their command post name and police department to moving their command post entirely from the side of the theater to the front?
Even stranger still is that immediately following this order, the police dispatcher says something unintelligible and concludes with “ok…and it’s coming back clear…Mr. James Holmes.”
This is the first time James Holmes is identified as the shooter by name. In the span of less than 60 seconds the fire command has changed their name, the order to “wake everyone up” comes down from the police, the police command post moves from the north side to the front of the theater, and James Holmes is being listed now for the first time by name as the shooter. Is this all a coincidence in timing?
An officer then comes on radio and says, “All right, we’ve got enough people on foot. Let’s get some police cars back here on the east side so we can get victims transported.” He repeats, “We’ve got enough people on foot…get your cars back over here!”
Notice now how there is new activity beginning at the back of the theater. The fire department’s command is being relieved, the order to wake people up is given, James Holmes has been announced as the suspect, police command has moved to the front of the theater, and police are now calling for more cars to start coming to back of the theater – all in the span of 60 seconds.
Over police radio an officer says, “Engine Twenty-Five, on scene command…Lincoln twenty-five if we’ve got Englewood cars here I need them to start segregating people in the front of the store.”
Let’s review what has happened in just the last couple of minutes.
Someone dressed in all black wearing tactical gear, guns, and a gas mask (just like the official report says the shooter was wearing) has just been seen “booking out of the parking lot” of the theater by construction workers out back. The Aurora fire chief known as Century Command (or more recently Aurora Mall Command) has up until this point been repeatedly ignoring any request to send medics to the back of the theater to assist with victims and has even actively attempted to route trucks away from the back of the theater. Suddenly the police lieutenant is asking to meet with the fire chief of Century Command, a new fire chief (Chief Seven) has just been assigned in command, fire’s Century Command changes its name to Aurora Mall Command, and a police officer suggests its time to “wake everybody up”. The police command post then suddenly moves to the front of the theater and immediately dispatch releases the name of the shooter, Mr. James Holmes. And now, for the first time we hear police calling for more cars to start coming to the back of the theater to transport victims.
A conspiracy theorist might suggest the possibility that the shooter (or at least co-conspirators) has now safely fled the rear of the theater and official rescue operations can begin.
At this point the police and fire dispatch will transmit typical rescue activity.
For the time being, fire’s “Aurora Mall Command” (formally “Century Command”) is still giving orders. It is presumed that the transition of command may have not FULLY taken place yet, or perhaps the new command is transmitting on a different channel.
An Aurora police officer shouts on air, “I want NO CARS leaving this lot. I want this lot locked down. No cars leaving!”
Again, I ask why now??? Why up to this point have cars been allowed to leave the scene of the crime but only now is the lot being “locked down?” Could it be that conspirators now know their operatives are safely out of the scene? Perhaps until this point the scene had to be left open and relatively unsecured for the conspirators to escape. Perhaps even the fire department ensured no extra crews went to the back of the theater until the coast was clear. Were the two individuals seen fleeing the scene with backpacks and multiple long guns the last of the conspirators to get away and so now it is safe to lock the scene down? All of these questions are JUST questions but questions I want to know the answers too. I’m curious now. Just what the hell has changed?
Another officer comes on air at this point and says, “514 to radio. I’m at Expo and Sable and have Denver, Englewood, Wilkin and Arapaho here as of right now I’m going to send them to the east side of the theaters to help transport victims unless told otherwise.” The names the officer lists are the names of other cities and counties who have sent support to the theater and at this time all of them are being sent to the east side (or rear) of the theater.
Once again, why only now are other police departments cars going to be sent to the back (or east side) of the theaters? Why weren’t they sent sooner when police were repeatedly calling for help? Could it be some conspirator had to secure the operations scene before allowing other police departments in? Again, I know the question sounds nuts at this point.
Lincoln twenty-five will then immediately correct the instructions that were given, “Lincoln twenty-five, NEGATIVE! I want all of the Englewood, Denver and people to stage in the Dillard’s lot and start moving toward the front of Century 16. I need them to start segregating people.”
Ooops? Why is Lincoln twenty-five so strongly opposed to cars being sent to the back of the theater? Was the back of the theater not 100% ready yet?
And again, only now do we see a real flurry of action taking place! Officers voices are faster, louder and express a more urgent tone. Up to now we have seen little to no activity at the back of the theater and suddenly now, once command moves to the front of the theater and James Holmes has been announced as the shooter, we are hearing that they are sending all kinds of cars to the back of the theater, “unless told otherwise” and orders are flying left and right to lock down the scene, stop cars, segregate witnesses, etc. The timing of this newfound urgency is highly suspicious to the critical eye. It is as if everyone’s hands were tied to truly help the victims until given the order and now everyone is in a panic to get help going right away.
July 20, 2012, 1:09 am
At 1:09 am, on Aurora fire channels, East Division would report in, “We have transported..uh…seven patients and we are on our eighth patient and also just talked to police officers says we have…we may have a number of people dead inside the theater.”
“Aurora Mall Command” (formerly “Century Command”) responds, “Ok, if they’re um….dead just leave ‘em…we’re in a mass casualty situation at this time. Please make sure that you guys set up some kind of transport officer over there that can contact the hospitals so we don’t overload one.”
Up till now Aurora Mall Command has successfully avoided sending help to the back of the theater for about a half hour and now that he’s getting a report there are dead in the theater he orders, “Just leave ‘em.”
At this point Lincoln twenty-five announces he will now be moving to the front of the theater, “Lincoln twenty-five…I’ll be out front with the Denver and Englewood guys. We’re going to be moving to the front of the Century theater.”
So we know Lincoln twenty-five was at the back of the theater until the scene appears to be cleared and then moves to the front of the theater to the new command post.
Also at this time officers will be calling for CSI to join the scene. CSI of course stand for Crime Scene Investigation.
Again, something has happened within just the last minute or so that took this from an active shooting scene to an official “crime scene.” Remember, James Holmes supposedly has been in custody for a very long time so what event has just recently happened in the past couple of minutes? The only event we can point to is the suspect (or suspects) seen fleeing the scene wearing all black, tactical gear, and multiple long guns and then the utter silence about them as the announcement was made to wake everybody up.
July 20, 2012, 1:10 am
Shockingly, at 1:10 am, over a half hour after the lone suspect is in custody, the Denver police who are assisting now are still reporting on another suspect as evidenced by the following police scanner traffic. Denver Tac-37 reports in with an update, “…update is that there’s a suspect in all black, black tactical vest, black tactical helmet, ..[??]…gas mask, full tactical gear at least one handgun, possible shotgun, and possible one other long gun.”
Is Denver tactical reporting on a suspect they have matching the exact description they say James Holmes was wearing? It appears that Denver police are reporting on a different suspect that is in custody with the same outfit as James Holmes. Remember, James Holmes has now been detained for a very long time so who is this? More importantly, how on earth can the chief of police not mention or explain the other gunmen reported to be wearing tactical gear and weapons in addition to James Holmes that evening?