Attorney: Ohio moviegoer had gun for protection

Associated Press

Cleveland

A Northeast Ohio man brought a gun, ammunition and several knives to a showing of the latest Batman movie because he wanted to protect himself in case someone tried to replicate last month’s deadly Colorado theater shooting, his attorney said Tuesday.

Scott A. Smith, 37, had no intention of causing harm or inducing panic when he brought the weapons to a Saturday showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” said his attorney, Matthew Bruce.

“With the recent shooting in Colorado, and the other incidents around the country in regards to threats, he felt that he needed protection,” Bruce said.

Bruce said he was referring to movie-theater threats made after the deadly July 20 shooting in Aurora, Colo., where a 24-year-old man is accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 at a midnight showing of the same movie.

Bruce said his client “felt a sense of fear” about going to a theater, and chose the Batman movie by complete coincidence.

“Any weapons he may have had on him were solely for protection,” he said.

Smith brought the weapons to a Regal Cinemas theater in Westlake, just outside of Cleveland, and seated himself in the middle of the theater’s back row a half hour before the movie started, police said.

A theater manager and an off-duty police officer working security stopped Smith after they became suspicious of a bag he was carrying, said Westlake Police Lt. Ray Arcuri.

Smith was arrested without incident and is jailed. Bruce said his client has been cooperative with officials.

He was expected to be indicted on several weapons charges, but it’s still too early to determine what those charges will be, said Nicole DiSanto of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office.