Masked gunman kills 14 at Denver cinema A masked gunman killed at least 14 people and injured 50 more when he opened fire on a midnight screening of the new Batman film near the US city of Denver. Witnesses and police officers described a nightmarish scene as a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and a gas mask set off a gas canister and started to shoot into the packed cinema in the early hours of Friday. Dan Oates, police chief in the Denver suburb of Aurora, told reporters that 10 people were killed at the cinema and four others were reported to have died in hospital. "Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister," the Associated Press news agency quoted Mr Oates as saying. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire. Police said a suspect, thought to be in his early 20s, had been detained after being found in the car park of the mall where the shootings occurred. The suspect was found with a rifle, handgun and gas mask. Mr Oates said the suspect had said he had spoken of "possible explosives" at his home. Police were "dealing with that potential threat," he added. Barack Obama, US president, said: "We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. A witness at the screening of The Dark Knight Rises told CNN the gunman was wearing a bulletproof vest and a riot helmet and was "completely covered in black with goggles." The gunman had opened fire during a shooting scene in the film, witnesses said, sowing confusion. Mobile phone footage posted on YouTube showed panic-stricken people fleeing the auditorium through the mall, some in fancy dress, others bloodied. One witness said he had seen a police officer emerging from the cinema carrying the body of young girl. Footage of the scene showed a heavy police presence as dawn approached. One officer said witnesses were being taken to a nearby school. A local hospital, the Swedish Medical Center, said it had put its disaster plan into effect. The shooting happened 20km from Columbine High School, where 12 pupils and a teacher were shot dead by two teenagers in April 1999.