Relatives of nine victims involved in last summer’s deadly shooting at an Aurora, Colo. movie theater have come together to express their anger with Cinemark USA Inc., owner of the establishment, who invited them to a special reception on the eve of its reopening.
The invitation, sent just days after Christmas, has been labeled as “disgusting” and “wholly offensive” to the memory of their loved ones.
“During the holiday we didn’t think anyone or anything could make our grief worse but you, Cinemark, have managed to do just that by sending us an invitation two days after Christmas inviting us to attend the re-opening of your theater in Aurora where our loved ones were massacred,” they wrote. “Thanks for making what is a very difficult holiday season that much more difficult. Timing is everything and yours is awful.”
On July 20, 12 people were killed and 58 were injured at the hands of 25-year-old James Eagan Holmes who gunned down an audience attending a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. The reopening of Aurora Century 16 movie theater is scheduled for Jan. 18.
Related: How “Black-On-Black Violence” Contributed To The Aurora Shootings
An e-mail sent to the families said Cinemark would hold a ”special evening of remembrance” followed by a film screening for which they had to reserve their own tickets. In the families’ response, they pointed out the company’s insensitive “quest for profits.”
“You (Cinemark) refused our repeated invitations to speak parent to parent with no lawyers involved. Instead, we get invited to attend a ‘special evening of remembrance’ at the very theater where our loved ones lay dead on the floor for over 15 hours,” the letter continued. “We would give anything to wipe the carnage of that night out of our minds’ eye. Thank you for reminding us how your quest for profits has blinded your leadership and made you so callous as to be oblivious to our mental anguish.”
At this time, Cinemark has made no comment about the invitation.
Read the entire letter here.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
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