Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to wonder why a small baby was at a film premiere??

126 replies

Igetknockeddownbutgetupagain · 21/07/2012 19:00

The shooting at the Batman premiere in Denver is terrible news and I have just been watching a report about it on the news (hark at me getting up on the day's events).

On screen appears a young guy, early to mid twenties, standing next to his partner, talking about how he'd been holding his baby in the cinema screen...

Why? I am dumbfounded. How did they get in, with a baby? I just can't wrap my brain around it!

OP posts:
Dprince · 21/07/2012 19:15

God people are being harsh here. The OP hasn't said its the main issue or anyone deserved anything or played down what happened. She noticed something in a news story and has posted about it.

BenedictsCumberbitch · 21/07/2012 19:16

You're not the only one op, the report I read spoke of several children including a 4,6 and 9 year old. I thought it was strange too. Of course it was horrific and really I suppose it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but it's obviously a bit of an oddity that under the normal run of things would be considered inappropriate (thinking more of the children rather than babies). My thoughts are with all the victims, young and old in this tragedy.

valiumredhead · 21/07/2012 19:16

Why is it no the time to wonder but it is the time to read the story about how he legged it? Confused

Sassybeast · 21/07/2012 19:17

What 'is' your point though ?

Kayano · 21/07/2012 19:18

Shock he left a four month old crying on the floor and left

He deserves to be called a fucking idiot whether he was there or not. How could you do that to your baby?!?!

gazzalw · 21/07/2012 19:18

Precisely, and an eight year old and even a 14 year old....not right at all!

Iamsparklyknickers · 21/07/2012 19:22

The op certainly isn't the only person to question this, I've seen plenty of discussion on the internet about it. It doesn't detract from the horrible events, but there's no reason people can't discuss anything else related to it.

Op fwiw, I don't get it either, I think it might be slightly more common in America to take your young children to screenings, but it's not something I would personally do, especially a midnight showing of a loud, flashy film.

Dprince · 21/07/2012 19:22

It did stick in my mind actually thinking about. When it was on the news I said to dh 'at least there won't have been any kids' I assume a midnight showing of a fairly dark film would not have kids in attendance, rightly or wrongly. Where a daytime shoeing of the lorax would have been full of kids.
When it said children had been involved I was shocked and it stuck out to me. Its not the important issue and the OP hasn't said it is.

Kveta · 21/07/2012 19:27

it was common in the town in the US I lived in for people to bring small kids to late night showings. I remember seeing Wolverine at a 10pm showing and there being a couple of toddlers and some babies in the cinema. seems weird to us in the UK.

it's shit though, nobody would expect a random maniac to start shooting in the middle of a film, no matter the time of day or subject matter of the film, or the age range of the audience. so many poor families :(

sugarandspite · 21/07/2012 19:27

Oh my god - he put the baby down, ran out of the cinema and DROVE AWAY leaving his fiancée, baby and preschooler in a cinema with a gunman. I actually feel sick.

lovebunny · 21/07/2012 19:33

my baby came to the cinema when her father and i wanted to see a particular film. it was so good we took her again the next night.
she was breastfed and no trouble to anyone.

the film was raiders of the lost ark...

Hulababy · 21/07/2012 19:33

Maybe there were children there because it was a premiere - maybe invited or something, or because it was a special showing. It did seem unusual to have babies and young children at a midnight showing of a film to me, but I've never been to a premiere so maybe it's different.

Sadly one of the 12 victims was a 6 year old little girl :(

Read about the man linked to before - there with his girlfriend, a baby and a 4 year old. Very odd story as it seems he left without his family and drove away from the cinema, after dropping/placing one of the children on the floor.

minimisschief · 21/07/2012 19:34

oh please no matter how you think you'll react to a situation doesnt necessarily mean you will.

while you are getting sprayed with bullets in a confined space filled with screams and smoke let us know how well you do protecting your child.

the guy is human and panicked and that doesnt make him stupid or heartless or a bad person.

Kayano · 21/07/2012 19:38

I know under no circumstances would I leave my 5 month old dd on the floor at the mercy of a crazed gunman. Sad

If they came for her they would have come for me too. If he ran out, why not just take the baby?

Hulababy · 21/07/2012 19:41

I hope it was sheer panic and very much out of character. I can think of no other reason for it. To run and leave your child and then to drive away must have been out of character surely?

Another reports that a different father died after he moved to protect his children :(

I'd like to think I would died protecting my child than run and leave them to face their fate alone, whatever that may be. I guess no one really knows though.

picnicbasketcase · 21/07/2012 19:42

I can't see how his family are going to be able to forgive such a cowardly act, honestly.

Kveta · 21/07/2012 19:44

according to some reports he proposed to her after they were reunited, and she accepted.

I'm another who can't imagine putting my baby down before running away.

Dprince · 21/07/2012 19:49

Is it just me that thinks the report linked is weird?
It keeps saying 'she said she was injured' not 'she was injured' I know its not massive difference, bit I read that as though they don't know if its fact. Seems a bit strange to me.

Kayano · 21/07/2012 19:51

She accepted after he abandoned their baby? I couldn't. If DH did that he would be the cowardly stbxh.

He actually made the conscious decision to put the baby down because he was crying and he was scared it would bring the gunmen to him

Then made the decision not to go back for him

Then made the decision to drive away drive away?!?! No way!

Northernlurker · 21/07/2012 19:54

I have no issue with them taking young children to the cinema in the expectation they would sleep through the film. I have all sorts of issues with the sort of coward who leaves his children and girlfriend in a cinema with a gunman and DRIVES AWAY!

pigletpower · 21/07/2012 19:55

If the baby had died I think people would have quite a different view.We have took our babies to late night showings at the cinema otherwise we never would have got out the house but we wouldn't have anticipated being shot to fuck in our seats.

BenedictsCumberbitch · 21/07/2012 19:56

I'd have thought the content of the Dark Knight Rises is wholly unsuitable for young children. That man beggars belief, I read about him last night and thought it was a typo. Sadly not.

VivaLeBeaver · 21/07/2012 20:00

Yep, I was more stunned by the fact he jumped over a balcony, leaving his baby behind and then drove away from the cinema. I was stunned his girlfriend accepted his proposal after that. She dragged both kids out even though she'd been shot in the leg!

Ingles2 · 21/07/2012 20:01

I wondered as well... and was shocked and saddened to see one of the victims was a 6yr old...
Obviously this is a terrible tragedy, but I have no clue what they were doing there.

gallifrey · 21/07/2012 20:48

Actually myself and hubby both thought it was strange that someone would take a small baby to the cinema!