Photo: Cinemark

Chris Luckett

It was four years ago that a shooter opened fire in a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring another 70.

In that time, several lawsuits have been filed against Cinemark, claiming that proper security measures hadn’t been in place to prevent such an incident. Six weeks ago, Cinemark was unanimously found not partially liable for the shooting. 

State law in Colorado says that a defendant in a civil suit can seek compensation for legal fees upon upon winning — which has led to the third-largest movie theatre chain in North America billing the victims of the 2012 shooting for $700,000.

A boycott instantly started gaining traction in the wake of the move by Cinemark, with the trending hashtag #BoycottCinemark. Even the Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has tweeted out his support of the boycott.

Among the victims Cinemark is seeking recompense from are a woman who had to hold her own intestines in and a boy who was shot in the head, as well as families who risked their lives to save others in the theatre.

Cinemark earned $705-million in the first quarter of 2016.

The theatre chain, which has 4,499 screens across 335 locations, has not yet responded to the boycott or trending hashtag.

(Source: Deadline)