KHOU & CultureMap

Movie theater shooting hits Texas: Woman holding baby while shot has Houstonties, San Antonio sports blogger killed

A gunman at a suburban Denver movie theater shot more than 50 people, killing atleast a dozen.
The Daily Echo
A Houston area woman told KHOU her sister was shot twice in the leg during theincident early Friday morning.
The sister of the Houston woman was seeing Dark Knight Rises with her baby andboyfriend, both of whom were uninjured in the incident.
James Holmes, 24, was taken into custody early Friday morning. Denver area SWATare currently searching the gunman's apartment, which appears to bebooby-trapped.
University of Colorado Denver
Jessica Ghawi, who recently relocated from San Antonio to Denver, was among the12 killed by gunfire.

As horror stories continue to surface about the early morning shooting at a Dark Knight Rises premiere in Aurora, Colo., a Houston-area woman has told KHOU Channel 11 that her sister is among the scores of victims injured in the brutal attack.

At least 12 people are reported dead, including a San Antonio woman who had recently moved to the Denver area.

"They were watching the movie and all of a sudden there was smoke and gunfire and pandemonium. They didn't know if it was real or not."

Just after midnight, as the film began to roll, a gunman wearing a gas mask stood at the front of the theater and tossed several canisters of an unknown gas into the crowd before opening fire on moviegoers. Sitting at the back of the packed auditorium with her boyfriend and baby, the Houston woman's sister watched the event unfold.

"They were watching the movie and all of a sudden there was smoke and gunfire and pandemonium," the Houston woman said, relaying what her sister Patricia told her from Colorado. "They didn't know if it was real or not."

Patricia was struck on the back of her leg and on the side of her thigh, falling to the floor as her baby fell from her arms. The boyfriend, who escaped unscathed was able to get them out of the theater. Patricia was taken to an area hospital and remains in stable condition. The baby, who was dropped when its mother was shot, was given a clean bill of health.

San Antonio native Jessica Ghawi, a sports blogger who hoped to move into broadcasting, was among the fatally wounded, according to a Friday morning report from KENS Channel 5.

An avid Twitter user under the name of Jessica Redfield, Ghawi posted updates about going to see the movie Thursday night. Joking with a friend, her last tweet reads, "MOVIE DOESN'T START FOR 20 MINUTES."

The suspected shooter has been captured and identified as 24-year-old James Holmes. A neighbor of Holmes tells the Los Angeles Times that "he seemed to be a normal kid."

Vice President Joe Biden has also canceled a Houston fundraising trip set for Friday in deference to the tragedy.

Watch the full KHOU video:

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including restaurant openings and a major acquisition for MFAH. Plus, where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Houston. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide to the best Christmas weekend events.

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2. Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire. It didn’t take Sambrooks Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opened December 22.

3. 25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more. Houston restaurants are ringing in the new year with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly.

4. Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District.

Holland Lodge masonic building The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace. Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

5. Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025. As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. These are the City Life stories that captured Houston's attention.