Aurora massacre families ask for gun violence conversation at debate (+video)
Presidential debate: Relatives of eight of the 12 victims who died at "The Dark Knight Rises" screening in Aurora Colo., asked Jim Lehrer, the moderator of the presidential debate in Denver Wednesday, to ask the candidates about gun violence.
Denver
Relatives of victims of a Colorado movie theater shooting rampage demanded on Monday that President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney address gun violence in their first presidential debate this week in Denver.
Skip to next paragraph
In a letter to debate moderator Jim Lehrer, relatives of eight of the 12 people who died at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in July urged him to ask the men who want to lead the country about mass shootings in Colorado at Wednesday night's debate.
"To ignore the problem of gun violence where two of the worst shootings in US history took place - Aurora and Columbine - would not only be noticeable by its absence but would slight the memories of our loved ones killed," the letter said.
James Holmes, a former neuroscience graduate student, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the July 20 rampage, one of the worst USoutbursts of gun violence in recent years. In addition to those killed, 58 people were wounded.
That rampage took place about 15 miles (24 km) from the scene of a 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, where two students shot dead a teacher and 12 students before committing suicide.
Become part of the Monitor community