Police Increase Patrols at Cinemark Theater in Robinson

Robinson Police Chief Dale Vietmeier said his department will increase patrols at the Cinemark Theater in Settlers Ridge following a midnight shooting at a Colorado theater that killed 12 and wounded more than 50 movie-goers. 

Authorities in the town of Aurora, CO, said a 24-year-old gunman entered a midnight viewing of the newly released Batman movie, Dark Knight Rises, and shot to death 12 people.  

One of the closest theaters for Pine-Richland residents is Rave Motion Pictures Pittsburgh North 11, 9700 McKnight Road, McCandless. The theater manager and Rave corporate representatives in Dallas, TX, were unavailable for comment about any additional security. 

Cranberry Township's Cranberry Cinemas, also showing Dark Knight Rises have not made any special requests to the Cranberry Police, according to Sgt. Chuck Mascellino, the department's public information officer.

The Cranberry Cinemas' manager, Joe Rethage, declined any comment as to possible additional security, citing company policy of the famiy-owned theater.  The Cranberry Cinemas is one of eight theaters in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland under the Moviescoop name, according to the Moviescoop.com website.

Robinson's Vietmeier said management at Cinemark contacted police this morning and requested additional supervision of the local theater. 

That's not enough to get Bob Batina of Leetsdale to see the movie in a theater anytime soon. Batina, 62, whose nickname was "Batman" in high school, said he's a Batman fan, but plans to wait until the mania fizzles out before seeing the summer blockbuster.

"I remember they had a shooting at the Loews movie theater," Batina said, referring to the fatal 2005 shooting at the Loews Cineplex at The Waterfront in West Homestead. "It's scary," he said. 

Robinson Police typically patrol Cinemark on weekends, but will now have officers present inside the building through Sunday, Vietmeier said. 

The theater has more than a dozen showings of the Christian Bale film scheduled for the weekend. 

Vietmeier said those who observe suspicious behavior at the theater should contact Robinson Police or theater management. 

Click here for coverage of the Colorado massacre.

Police have identified the shooter as James Holmes, who grew up in the San Diego area. Click here for coverage from our San Diego Patches.

Click here for coverage of the president's statement on the Aurora shooting.

Click here for a story that includes information about Cinemark theaters in the Pittsburgh area at Pittsburgh Mills, Monaca and Robinson Township.

Cindy Cusic Micco, Richard Cook and Jill Taylor Spero also contribued to this article.