With the deadly shooting in Aurora, Colo., inside a packed movie theater showing “The Dark Knight Rises,” questions are being raised as to whether there is any connection between the killings and the movie’s plot and the character of Batman. In “The Dark Knight Rises,” a masked villain leads a murderous crew into a packed football stadium and wages an attack involving guns and explosives. It’s just one of the more haunting scenes in what was one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, if not the year. It’s unclear whether the shooter’s motives had any specific link to “The Dark Knight Rises.” The shooting happened at 12:30, not far into the midnight screening that marked the film’s opening day. Violent attacks on the public by villains are key components of most superhero movies, including “The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-man,” both in theaters now. By Hollywood standards, the Batman movies are more grim than bloody/AP. More here.

Question: Do movies, like "The Dark Knight Rises," prompt marginal individuals to act out in murderous ways?

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