Colorado shooting survivor recounts horrific events from inside cinema

Colorado shooting survivor Tanner Cooper tells Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa he thought it was a prank when he saw a tear gas cylinder fly across the cinema and thought the first gun shot was a firecracker.

"When I realised it was actual gunfire, I had two other friends and I told them we needed to get down on the floor so we got down in front of our chairs on the floor (in the fourth row from the back)," Tanner said.

"When there was a pause I poked my head up and saw his silhouette and he started firing again so I got back down. "He eventually stopped, I saw some people running for the top of the theatre so I told my friends we need to get out.

"I went into the third row trying to get to the exit quicker and I slipped in some blood and landed on top of this lady who I started shaking and saying 'you need to get up, we need to get out of here' and she didn’t move so I knew she was dead."

Tanner said he gets flashbacks when he closes his eyes for too long.

Twelve people were killed and 58 wounded when 24-year-old James Holmes allegedly started firing at patrons from the front of the cinema. Holmes has been captured, and is reportedly being held in solitary confinement before his first court appearance on Monday morning (USA time).

Photo: Getty / Getty Images News / Kevork Djansezian