It is a devastating scene in a town near Denver, Colorado.  Aurora, Colorado Police Chief Dan Oates says 12 people are dead following a shooting at a suburban Denver movie theatre in the U.S.  He had earlier said 14 were dead.

He says 50 others were injured when a gunman opened fire early Friday at the Aurora theatre.

Oates says one gunman stood at the front of one of the Century 16 theatres at the Aurora Mall.

He says “witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire.”

There was no immediate word of any motive. 

Police have a 24 year old man in custody.   Officers are now searching the man’s apartment.  The Police chief says the suspect talked about the possibility of explosives at his apartment, so other residents of the building were told to leave. 

He says police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and at the theatre.