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Boycott Called As US Cinema Chain Seeks $700,000 Legal Fees From Shooting Victims

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The mass shooting at the Cinemark Century 16 multiplex in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012 left 12 dead and 70 injured, after gunman James Holmes opened fire during a screening of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

But now the chain is seeking nearly $700,000 (£526,000) in legal fees from the victims, after a court ruled that it was not to be held responsible.

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The victims’ families had filed a lawsuit, arguing that the chain should have provided better security measures in order to avoid such an incident.

But a jury ruled against the plaintiffs on June 24, finding Cinemark not to be at fault.

“The Court concludes that a reasonable jury could not plausibly find that Cinemark’s actions or inactions were a substantial factor in causing this tragedy,” said presiding Judge R. Brook Jackson following the verdict.

The figure the chain is demanding from the families is a 'bill of costs’ for the lawsuit, allowable under Colorado law, amounting to $699,187.13, according to the Denver Post.

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It comes after the company recently posted quarterly revenue of $704.9 million (£530 million).

Among those the cinema is requesting repayment from are the families of two men who heroically saved others in the cinema.

The plaintiffs are already planning an appeal against the move, but some family members of those who were killed or injured in the shooting are now calling for a boycott of the chain.

“Please boycott Cinemark. Don’t add to their $194 million profit while they come after Aurora victims who have lost everything,” tweeted Sandy Phillips.

She is the mother of Jessica Ghawi, who was among those killed in the shooting.

Many have joined in the boycott on social media:

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But it is a double blow for the Phillips family.

Last year, they lost a lawsuit against Lucky Gunner, the online retailer who sold ammunition to Holmes, after which the case judge ordered they pay the company’s legal fees, to the tune of $203,000.

“We thought it was important to take a stand, to fight to prevent other families from suffering as we have,” she told the Huffington Post.

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“We did not seek any money in our case. We just wanted injunctive relief - to have these companies act reasonably when they sold dangerous material, like 100-round ammunition magazines, ammunition, body armor, and tear gas.

“Lucky Gunner has said that it is going to donate all these fees to 'gun rights’ groups. The thought is disgusting to us that Lucky Gunner does not even plan to use this money to pay for their attorney’s fees.”

Last year, Holmes was given 12 life sentences, one for each person he killed, and 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded.

Image credits: Rex Features/ITN