Bale and wife Sibi Blazic visit memorial on Tuesday in Aurora (Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/POLARIS)Star of the latest trilogy of Batman films, Christian Bale, was seen in Aurora, Colorado, on Tuesday visiting victims of last week's deadly shooting that took place at a midnight screening of his film "The Dark Knight Rises."
Bale is said to have gone of his own volition, according to a Warner Bros. employee: "Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing Warner Bros.," an assistant to the studio's executive VP Susan Fleishman told The Denver Post.
In the photo below, Bale is seen with shooting victim Carey Rottman -- who posted the picture to his Facebook page along with the message: "Wow!!! Thank you so much for the visit Christian!! What a great guy! Still in shock!"
Bale, right, poses with shooting victim Carey Rottman. (Photo: Courtesy Carey Rottman)The Denver Post is reporting that Bale spent about two-and-a-half hours at the hospital visiting seven patients who were injured in the movie theater shooting. "The patients were really happy to meet Bale," Bill Voloch, interim president of Medical Center of Aurora, told the Post.
[Related: Source: Warner Bros. pulling theater shooting scene from 'Gangster Squad']
(Photo: Courtesy of Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado)
Bale is reported to have arrived at the Aurora hospital by ambulance around 2 p.m. with his wife Sibi Blazic. The couple are said to have met with several doctors, police officers and EMTs who were first responders to the scene of the shooting. They also met with Gov. John Hickenlooper. "It was good for the patients... We hope it was therapeutic for them, and all the staff really appreciated him coming," Voloch further told the Denver Post.
Voloch revealed he was notified that Bale wanted to visit the injured, but was asked not to notify the media the actor was coming.
On Saturday, Bale issued the following statement: "Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
Other cast members who have made statements since last week's shooting that left 12 dead and more than 50 injured include Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman and the film's director Christopher Nolan.
The latest of those messages came from Gordon-Levitt who tweeted:
My most sincere sympathies go out to the families of the victims in Aurora.
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) July 23, 2012
[Related: Yahoo's complete coverage of the Colorado shooting]
Tweets of Bale's visit, with linked photos, emerged on Tuesday:
yfrog.com/nty56utj Christian Bale with medical staff... what a nice guy!!!
— TheDenverChannel.com (@DenverChannel) July 24, 2012
First pic of Christian Bale at Aurora hospital to meet victims #theatershootinglockerz.com/s/227968823
— justinjoseph (@justinjoseph) July 24, 2012