Judge: Lawsuits Against Aurora CO Theater Can Move Forward

A U.S. District Court judge ruled this week that several lawsuits against the owner of the Aurora, Colorado, theater where 12 people were killed in a July 2012 shooting rampage can move forward.

The lawsuits were filed against Cinemark, the company that operates the Century Aurora 16 theater, by survivors and families of victims who were killed by shooting suspect James Holmes.

The plaintiffs accuse Cinemark of a pattern of inadequate security measures, which allowed the attack to occur, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson said in Wednesday’s ruling that the 10 outstanding lawsuits against the theater chain pose valid questions of premises liability law.

The claims were brought under Colorado’s Premises Liability Act.