Gunman Kills 12 at Denver Movie Theater (Update 3)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A masked gunman in Aurora, Colo., killed 12 people and injured 50 others at an early Friday showing of new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," authorities said, The Associated Press reported.

Early reports said 14 people had been killed. Police revised the number to at least 12; it wasn't immediately clear for the reason for the revision, the AP said.

Denver's' KOA radio station said a figure in a gas mask had opened fire at the movie in a mall in the Denver suburb of Aurora and set off a smoke bomb or tear gas, according to reports from CNN and Reuters.

The gunman, who is in custody, stood at the front of the theater and fired into the crowd about 12:30 a.m. MDT at the multiplex theater, the AP reported. He was identified as James Holmes, a 24-year-old American.

"Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire," Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates said at a news conference Friday.

An FBI spokesman told the AP there's no indication in the investigation so far of any connection to terrorism.