Batman star Christian Bale visits shooting victims
AURORA, Colo. (AP) - Batman star Christian Bale visited survivors of the Colorado theater shooting Tuesday, and thanked medical staff and police officers who responded to the attack that killed 12 people and injured 58 others.
Bale visited with little advance warning and also stopped by a makeshift memorial to victims near the movie theater that was showing "The Dark Knight Rises" when the gunfire erupted.
Carey Rottman, one of those injured in Friday's shooting, posted two photos of himself with Bale on his Facebook page.
Janie Bowman-Hayes, assistant vice president of surgical services at sister hospital Swedish Medical Center, said she and co-workers were attending a luncheon at The Medical Center of Aurora to thank staff who tended to victims. "When we got there, then we found out he was there," she said.
Bale, humble and dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans, thanked the staff, shook hands and agreed to have his photo taken with employees, Bowman-Hayes said.
"He just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this," she said. "He took it upon himself to come and thank us."
An online campaign had urged Bale to visit survivors of the shooting.
Bale also stopped by a growing memorial near the theater and walked among the 12 crosses erected for each of the slain victims. Many people there didn't realize who he was or chose to leave him alone.
A Warner Bros. spokeswoman told The Denver Post that Bale was representing himself, not the movie studio.
Bale, who stars as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises," previously issued a written statement saying: "Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
President Barack Obama and members of the Denver Broncos also have made hospital visits to some of the survivors.
Bowman-Hayes and her staff cared for patients at both Swedish Medical Center and The Medical Center of Aurora after the shootings, whether it was in the operating room or intensive care unit, or by washing medical instruments.
She said the staff appreciated Bale's visit.
"He did this out of his heart, and you could really tell. It was so sincere," she said. "It was just, 'thank you.'"
Bale visited with little advance warning and also stopped by a makeshift memorial to victims near the movie theater that was showing "The Dark Knight Rises" when the gunfire erupted.
Carey Rottman, one of those injured in Friday's shooting, posted two photos of himself with Bale on his Facebook page.
Janie Bowman-Hayes, assistant vice president of surgical services at sister hospital Swedish Medical Center, said she and co-workers were attending a luncheon at The Medical Center of Aurora to thank staff who tended to victims. "When we got there, then we found out he was there," she said.
Bale, humble and dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans, thanked the staff, shook hands and agreed to have his photo taken with employees, Bowman-Hayes said.
"He just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this," she said. "He took it upon himself to come and thank us."
An online campaign had urged Bale to visit survivors of the shooting.
Bale also stopped by a growing memorial near the theater and walked among the 12 crosses erected for each of the slain victims. Many people there didn't realize who he was or chose to leave him alone.
A Warner Bros. spokeswoman told The Denver Post that Bale was representing himself, not the movie studio.
Bale, who stars as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises," previously issued a written statement saying: "Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
President Barack Obama and members of the Denver Broncos also have made hospital visits to some of the survivors.
Bowman-Hayes and her staff cared for patients at both Swedish Medical Center and The Medical Center of Aurora after the shootings, whether it was in the operating room or intensive care unit, or by washing medical instruments.
She said the staff appreciated Bale's visit.
"He did this out of his heart, and you could really tell. It was so sincere," she said. "It was just, 'thank you.'"
A class act by a great actor. Bale really showed a genuine side of him that most actors in Hollywood do not possess. Very well done Christian, you are a true superstar.
I wonder how much Warner Bro's paid Christian Bale to make an appearance to save face?
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I have a whole new respect for Christian Bale. Definitely a class act. I can't imagine that was an easy decision to make, not knowing how people would respond to it. But, it shows he does care and that's very commendable!
This was such a genuine and nice thing for him to do. You could tell he cared by the statement he issued shortly after the shootings, but to go the extra mile and show up to pay his respects to the deceased and visit the injured and the hospital staff that treated them was very classy, you can tell he has been deeply affected by this tragic event.Â
This tells me Christian Bale cares and has a heart for the families of the victims. I don't think any other actor would have shown up
Class act! I think I will go see it a few more times now!Â
I think Christian Bale has really proven himself a class act. This was done with little to no warning, telling me that he did not do this for the publicity.
I think this was a wonderful gesture on Christian Bale's part. He certainly didn't have to do anything other than voicing his condolences after the tragedy, so the fact he took time to visit those who survived the horror impresses me all the more.
I actually feel this is a very a sincere gesture on his part.
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Wearing the Batman suit would have been extremely crass, good for him.Â
I know there was a thing going around Facebook but I'm not convinced that is what drew him to visit those victims. I think this was evidence that he was genuinely concerned about those injured and just wanted to pay them a visit. I was impressed by his portray of Bruce Wayne and Batman, but I think this impresses me much more.
 @queenofthenight Yeah I heard about this as well but they were wanting him to come in with the bat suit on. Which I felt was poor taste to ask of him especially how expensive that suit is for the studio AND any traumatic emotions it may cause those injured now. Bale did something most celebs wont do beyond a statement and a donation. Makes me like his movies more now.
 @DarkRenegade I didn't catch the part about dressing as Batman. I agree with what you said about it being poor taste, it wouldn't have been appropriate at all. I think the fact he arrived dressed as normal and was very low key about it was more respectful.