NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Mid-State movie goers flocked to the theater to see the new Batman film Friday, despite the tragedy in early morning tragedy in Colorado.
Metro police said they will not be increasing patrols at local theaters, as there is no reason to believe something like the mass shooting in Aurora will happen in Middle Tennessee.
A manager at the Hollywood 27 theater told Nashville's News 2 they will have a few extra private security officers at their location this weekend.
No showings of the movie have been canceled at local movie theaters.
Nashville's News 2 also spoke with Tennessee Security Services which provides security for several theaters around Middle Tennessee.
Officials with the company stressed that safety is a priority and that their security officers are trained, licensed and armed.
"We check all the doors after the movies, we check behind the screens," explained security officer Jimmy Rogers.
The company said they have reviewed their procedures with their officers, but do not plan to make any changes following Friday's tragic shooting.
"We just wanted to make sure that everybody had a heightened sense of awareness tonight in light of the terrible tragedy that occurred," Trey Rochford of Tennessee Security Services said.
Many movie goers at the matinee showing at 100 Oaks told Nashville's News 2 they are disturbed by what happened in Colorado, but that isn't stopping them from enjoying the movie.
"It's pretty tragic but it could really happen anywhere, so I'm not going to live in fear," Garrett Kelley said.
Charlotte Hollis and her husband John said they contemplated missing the show, especially since they have a family connection to the tragedy.
"I talked to my aunt this morning and she was so thankful," she said, adding, "Her grandchildren, they're 18 and 16 were going to go see the Batman movie in Denver and they were closer to the theater in Aurora, but they decided to go to another theater."
"They had a friend who went to the theater and was in the theater when it happened," added Hollis. "He was in the theater, and when she went to pick him up, he was just ash color. He was so scared. They were really worried about him, because he went through such a trauma, being in the theater."
Dusty Lane told Nashville's News 2 he hopes the shooting in Aurora doesn't deter people from watching the movie or give the movie a bad name.
"I was actually very depressed about it this morning," he said. "I'm just hoping that it doesn't cause a public backlash to this film."
In Aurora, authorities have started to remove the bodies of the 10 people killed early Friday. Two others died at the hospital and another 59 were wounded in the massacre.
Aurora police say victims are still being identified and not all the families have been notified.
