July 20th will go down in history as the day that one of the most significant mass shootings in American history took place in Aurora, Colorado. This unfortunate event took the lives of 12 and injured 58 more, and the city still mourns and attempts to recover months later. Though there is not much anyone can do in the healing process than support one another, Batman himself – or, rather, the actor who played him, Christian Bale – was one of the first to step up to the plate.
The Oscar Winner made his way to the Medical Center of Aurora just days after the fateful midnight showing along with his wife. The seven injured victims were extremely excited to meet the actor – obviously, they are rather big fans of his, as they were attending the midnight showing – and the interim president of the hospital seems to think it was rather therapeutic for the mentally and physically recovering victims. He also interacted with emergency doctors, policemen, and paramedics who were quick to respond that night.
Bale visited the hospital on his own accord, not to represent anyone involved with the film or Warner Brothers, a day after the senseless gunman made his appearance in the courtroom. To lift the victims’ spirits, he entered the building unannounced, took photos with them, and placed flowers at the memorial for the deceased victims. The youngest of the deceased was six-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan who attended the show with her mother, and the oldest was Gordon Cowden, 52-year-old father of four.
According to members of the hospital staff, Bale humbly brought a positive energy to the unit, and though it’s difficult to look on the bright side at a time like this, his visit brightened the moods of the recovering victims. Hardly anyone knew he was coming, and all were delighted by the surprise. He took it upon himself to thank his injured fans and to pay a special tribute to the emergency room staff who handled the situation.
“I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them,” said Bale.
The film’s director, Christopher Nolan, also paid his respects. He referred to the act as ‘unbearably savage,’ and is extremely disdainful for the fact that anyone would attempt to sully the reputation of a public movie theater, a place that he himself considers to be ‘home.’
Sara Klemowitz is part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites.