A witness named Corbin Dayton spoke to 9NEWS Reporter Brandon Rittiman Friday morning after the shooting.
Dayton was sitting in the second row, just five feet away from the shooting suspect - later identified as 24-year-old James Holmes.
Dayton claimed he saw someone take a phone call and leave through the emergency door to take it. Dayton said that person kept the door open with their foot. However, when he looked again, the door was closed again.
"About 15 minutes into the movie, the door swung open," Dayton told Rittiman. "A guy walks in all in black, wearing a gas mask, helmet, black armor suit and everything. As soon as the gas cans started going off, I immediately hit the floor. I wasn't there to see the gun pointed at [people.]"
Dayton says people ahead of him started to run away from the shooter.
"It was unreal, I couldn't really process it," Dayton said. "I knew exactly what was happening, but I couldn't actually process exactly what was going on."
Dayton says he's just glad he and his friend Jennifer were able to get out safely. But, these memories will be with him forever.
"The only image that sticks with me is the guy walking in through the door, throwing a gas can and a gun," Dayton said. "That's the only thing that sticks and replays."
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