DENVER, the United States, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Denver residents paused in the wee hours of Friday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the horrific Aurora theater mass shooting.
It was half-past midnight five years ago when a crazed gunman walked into a Batman premiere in an Aurora theater in the U.S. state of Colorado and sprayed the unsuspecting audience with bullets, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others.
About 100 community and family members met Thursday midnight for a somber candlelight vigil outside Aurora's town hall, the populous municipality that borders Denver to the east.
A minute of silence was observed at 00:38 a.m. local time, the time five years ago when the bullets started flying on what is now called "7-20."
Social media was alive Thursday as victims, families, and friends were busy supporting each other on a 2012 day that devastated a community and gripped the nation.
"Five years ago today was a devastating, unacceptable, terrorist attack enabled by the amoral gun industry," Christine Fenno said on Facebook.
Nine of the 12 murdered were in their twenties, including Sandy Phillip's daughter Jessica Ghawi, 24, an aspiring TV sportscaster.
Since the death of her daughter, Philips has become a national spokesperson and symbol against the powerful gun lobby and National Rifle Association that opposes any form of gun control.
An estimated 30,000 Americans die each year from guns, and the country is split on whether to have controls on guns or follow the 1789 Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution known as The Right to Bear Arms.
The national tragedy five years ago showcased the efforts of Denver-area first responders who saved lives and performed great heroics on that day.
"The thing I see after five years is the resilience of this community," said Aurora Police Department spokesman Jad Lanigan.
"In Colorado, we've had our fair share of tragedies but we always bounce back," Lanigan said.
