The 'Dark Knight Rises' lead actor meets the Aurora hospital staff, police officers and Gov. John Hickenlooper in addition to offering his support for the wounded.
- Jul 25, 2012
AceShowbiz - Christian Bale came to Aurora, Colorado on Tuesday afternoon, July 24, a few days after the mass shooting that happened during a midnight screening of his new movie "The Dark Knight Rises", to meet the victims. The Bruce Wayne/Batman depicter was accompanied by his wife Sibi Blazic during the visit.
Bale spent about two and a half hours at Medical Center of Aurora, offering his support for those injured in the tragic incident. Five people he met were admitted to the hospital, and two others were brought in from Swedish Medical Center. A picture of the actor with one of the victims, Carey Rottman of Denver, quickly made its round on the internet.
"The patients were really happy to meet Bale," said Bill Voloch, interim president of the hospital. "They are obviously big fans of his movies. They wanted to see Batman and were really pleased to see Bale." Voloch continued, "It was good for the patients. We hope it was therapeutic for them, and all the staff really appreciated him coming."
In addition to visiting the patients, Bale met a number of doctors and hospital staff from both the Aurora and Swedish medical centers, Aurora police officers, emergency paramedics as well as Gov. John Hickenlooper. He also laid a bouquet of flowers in a makeshift memorial near Century Aurora 16 theater where James Holmes did the massacre.
Bale and his wife were dressed casually. According to Voloch, the actor said he "just wanted to meet with victims and police," and asked not to notify the media about his visit. "Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing Warner Brothers," confirmed Susan Fleishman, executive vice president for WB corporate communications.
58 people were injured in the shooting, and 12 moviegoers were killed. "Words cannot express the horror that I feel," Bale previously said. "I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
