AURORA, Colorado (AFP) -- A masked, black-clad gunman in full body armor opened fire at a packed US movie theater showing the new Batman film Friday in a bloodbath which left at least 12 dead and nearly 60 injured.

Chaos erupted when the gunman tossed two tear gas or smoke grenades into the audience at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," then gunned down terrified patrons as they scrambled for the exits.

Police arrested the suspect -- identified as 24-year-old James Holmes -- without encountering resistance by his car at the rear of the theater, in Aurora, a suburb of the city of Denver, in Colorado.

Holmes, who reportedly attended the University of Colorado medical school until last month, had no criminal record aside from a citation for speeding in October 2011, according to police.

His nearby apartment was found to be booby-trapped with a sophisticated arsenal of incendiary and chemical devices, which police chief Dan Oates said could take days to defuse.

"This is the act ... of a very deranged mind," said Colorado governor John Hickenlooper at a press conference, where Oates revealed that at least three weapons were used in the attack, which injured 59, many critically.

Witnesses described chaos chillingly similar to that depicted in the Batman films, in which maniacal villains terrorize Gotham City.

"I saw some people start to get up. I poked my head up to see what was going on and when I did that I saw another flash and instantly put my head down as he started shooting again," said 17-year-old Tanner Coon.

Cinemas in New York tightened security at Batman showings, and the AMC theatre chain announced a ban on face masks and fake weapons -- several people wore costumes in Aurora, possibly helping Holmes to blend in with the melee.

The French premiere of the film in Paris was cancelled.

Holmes' parents, who live in San Diego, were shocked but "fully cooperating with law enforcement officials," said a San Diego Police Department spokeswoman, Andra Brown.

President Barack Obama cut short a campaign trip to Florida and returned to the White House to address the situation, although his spokesman said there appeared to have been no link to terrorism.

"Such violence, such evil, is senseless. But, while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the live of another, we do know what makes life worth living," the president told a somber crowd in Florida.

"The people we lost in Aurora loved and they were loved," Obama said.

As with previous such shootings -- all too regular in the US – lobby groups and some political leaders called for legislation to restrict civilians' access to firearms.

"Maybe it's time that the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do because this is obviously a problem across the country," New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

The US congressman for Aurora, Democrat Ed Perlmutter, called Holmes a "psychotic son of a bitch," adding: "I'm sorry for the cussing. You know, it just is boggling to my mind."

Obama ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast for six days.

Oates, the Aurora police chief, said the suspect set off two devices to distract the crowd and opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remington shotgun and a Glock automatic pistol.

At least two of the weapons were purchased legally, according to the gun seller which sold them to Holmes, Bass Pro Shops.

"Based on the records we have reviewed, personnel in our Denver store correctly and fully followed all federal requirements with respect to the sale of one shotgun and one handgun," it said in a statement.

He was dressed all in black, with a ballistic helmet, a ballistic vest, a throat protector, a gas mask and black gloves, he said.

Ten people were killed at the scene and two more died of their wounds, police said. At least three of the wounded were US military members. A local children's hospital reported six young victims, the youngest was aged only six.

Chris Jones, who was in the theater, said the shooting began about 20 to 30 minutes into the screening.

"People just started dropping. We were on the floor trying not to get shot," he said. "There was smoke. Then I heard 'bam, bam, bam.' The gunman didn't have to stop to reload. Shots just kept coming, kept coming, kept coming."

Shots fired in one auditorium went through the wall and hit people in the auditorium next door. Jones said by the time he got out, police were already in the building.

Oates said the suspect told them about the explosives at his residence, and the apartment complex where he lived -- including five separate blocks – had been evacuated and was being searched.

Officers used a fire ladder to enter the building through a window.

"Our investigation determined that his apartment is booby-trapped with various chemical devices and apparent trip wires. We have an active and difficult scene there," said Oates.

Aurora is barely 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the scene of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, in which two students shot dead 13 people before committing suicide.

<관련 한글 기사>

미국 콜로라도주(州)에서 발생한 영화관 총기 난사 사건의 범인이 최근 2개월여 사이에 총기 2정을 구입했음에도 구매사실이 당국에 등록돼 있지 않은 것으로 드러나 콜로라도주의 헐렁한 총기 규제가 도마 위에 올랐다.

이런 가운데 20일(현지시간) 덴버시 오로라 지역의 영화관에서 발생한 해당 총기사건으로 인한 사상자가 71명으로 늘어났다고 현지 경찰은 전했다.

블룸버그 통신은 범인인 제임스 이건 홈즈(24)가 오로라의 한 총기 판매점에서 지난 5월부터 반자동 소총과 엽총 등 총기 2정을 구입했지만, 해당 총기들이 당국에 등록돼 있지 않은 것으로 나타났다고 21일 보도했다.

실제로 홈즈는 범행 당시 AR-15 소총, 엽총, 글록 권총 등 총 3정을 소지하고 있었다. 또, 그의 차에서 별도의 글록 권총 1정이 추가로 발견됐다고 로이터 통신은 전했다.

범인이 살고있는 콜로라도주는 총기등록을 의무화하지 않고 있으며, 총기를 구입하기 전에 일정 기간을 기다릴 필요도 없는 등 총기규제가 느슨한 편이다.

다만, 총기 구매 희망자는 전과와 불법 이민자 여부 등 10가지 기준을 통과해야 한다.

범인은 교통법 위반 이외에는 전과가 없어 이 기준들을 무난히 통과한 것으로 알려졌다.

하지만 올해 들어 공화당이 장악하고 있는 콜로라도 주의회 하원은 총기 구입시 구매자의 신분 및 배경을 확인하는 절차마저 생략하는 내용의 법안을 통과시켰다.

현재 해당 법안은 민주당이 장악하고 있는 주의회 상원에 표류 중이다.

한편, 경찰은 이번 사건이 정신이상자의 단독 범행일 가능성에 무게를 두고 수사중이다.

레이먼드 켈리 뉴욕 경찰국장은 댄 오아츠 오로라 경찰서장의 발언을 인용, 홈즈가 범행 당시 머리를 빨간색으로 염색한 채 나타나 자신이 배트맨의 악당인 '조커'라고 외쳤다면서 "확실히 정신이상자처럼 보인다"라고 말했다.

그러면서 켈리 국장은 총기 사건 발생 당시 상영 중이던 새 배트맨 영화 '다크 나이트 라이즈'의 뉴욕 상영관에 모방범죄를 예방하는 차원에서 경찰력을 배치하겠다고 밝혔다.

이번 사건의 피해자는 사망자 12명, 부상자 59명 등 모두 71명으로 늘어났다.

홈즈의 가족은 "이 비극적 사건에 속한 모든 이들과 그들의 가족, 친구에게 우리의 마음을 전한다"라는 내용의 글을 경찰을 통해 공개했다.

'다크 나이트 라이즈'의 제작사 워너브러더스 측도 "이번 충격적 소식에 영화 제작자들이 깊은 슬픔에 빠졌다"라고 밝혔다.

또한 영국 엘리자베스 2세 여왕도 버락 오바마 미국 대통령에게 애도를 표했다.

홈즈에 대한 첫 재판은 오는 23일에 열릴 예정이다.