A survivor of the Batman movie massacre has told how she is still haunted 10 years on by the death of the six-year-old girl she was babysitting.
Kaylan Bailey, just 13 herself, was sitting with little Veronica Moser Sullivan when James Holmes began shooting randomly into the audience at a midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises.
Next to them in the fourth row of the cinema in Aurora, Colorado, was Veronica’s pregnant mum Ashley Moser, 22.
Speaking ahead of the anniversary of the shooting, in which 12 people died and 70 more were injured, Kaylan said: “I have a huge amount of guilt.
“I remember I was supposed to sit where Veronica was sitting, but we ended up scooting just one chair over to make space for a couple to sit together.
Get all the latest news sent to your inbox. Sign up for the free Mirror newsletter
“So instead of me, she was in that chair. I didn’t get shot, so maybe Veronica wouldn’t have gotten hurt – and I was bigger and stronger so it’s possible I’d have survived.
“It’s led to me thinking over and over, ‘We never should’ve switched’. That keeps going around my head.”
With dyed red hair that made him look like Batman’s nemesis The Joker, Holmes entered the cinema on July 20, 2012, around 30 minutes after the movie began.
He carried three firearms and was dressed head to toe in tactical gear – including a ballistic helmet, gas mask, gloves and headphones, through which he was blasting techno music.
Holmes stood at the front of Theatre 9 and threw two tear gas canisters before loosing off 76 shots – six from a shotgun, 65 from a semi-automatic rifle and five from a .40-calibre handgun.
He was later given 12 life terms for murder and more than 3,000 years for the attempted murders of the injured and for rigging his apartment with explosives.
Pregnant Ashley was shot in the abdomen and twice in the throat. While she survived, she later lost her unborn child.
Kaylan said: “Veronica was the cutest, most beautiful girl, always wanting to colour in books and go outside. She loved. animals. She’d ask so many questions about everything and already knew she wanted to be a police officer. I wanted to be a big sister to her.
“While I have to live with the guilt that Veronica is gone and I was her babysitter, I know deep down it was that monster that took her away.”
Ashley, who works at a car dealership, said: “There wasn’t much crime in Aurora – the threat of a mass shooting just didn’t cross your mind.
“I remember Veronica was so excited and couldn’t stop asking questions. She was being so cute.
“I didn’t see Holmes – I saw the gas canister thrown but didn’t realise at first the loud bangs that followed were gunshots. I froze.”
Ashley was badly injured and ended up lying on top of her daughter, which prevented Kaylan from giving chest compressions.
Kaylan said: “Veronica was still breathing when I first reached out. I took my hand away for a few minutes to call 911 – when I checked again her chest wasn’t moving. I should have dragged her out, or tried to move Ashley.”
Ashley was left paraplegic, her injuries so severe that she lost her unborn baby eight days later.
Kaylan added: There’s always that feeling of, ‘You could have done more.’ I was only a little kid, but I should have done something.”
