July 20th, 2012
10:50 PM ET

Couple who saw movie with baby to marry

A couple who were in the Aurora, Colorado, theater when a gunman opened fire early Friday told CNN's Piers Morgan that their day ended on a happy note with a marriage proposal.

Patricia Legarreta said Jamie Rohrs popped the question at the hospital after the shooting.

"He said, 'I know this isnā€™t the time or the place, but will you marry me,' and I said, 'yes,'" Legarreta said.

The couple gained attention in the immediate aftermath of the shootings that left 12 dead and 58 injured because they went to the midnight show of "The Dark Knight Rises" with Legarreta's 4-year-old daughter and their 4-month-old son.

Morgan opened his interview with the couple, saying CNN viewers wanted to know why they would take such young children to a midnight movie.

ā€œI take my kids to the movies all the time,ā€ Legarreta said. "My 4-year-old daughter loves Batman. We were excited."

It was to be a night out for the family that had just moved to the area from New Mexico, she said.

"We decided last-minute to go and get tickets and go as a family to the movies," Legarreta said.

What ensued was a nightmare.

Rohrs described how he lost 4-month-old Ethan in the darkness, gunfire and smoke in the theater and how he had to decide whether to search for the baby or escape the theater himself. He chose the latter.

"Just pray that he wonā€™t kill your 4-month-old," an emotional and shaken Rohrs said he thought as he fled the theater.

Once outside, he debated going back in to find the rest of his family, but then he thought they may be out and he could leave the children orphans if they did get out and he went back in and was killed.

"Just please let them get out alive. I donā€™t want to live if they all die," Rohrs said he thought to himself.

He later found out Legaretta was able to gather both kids as she escaped the theater, suffering a minor bullet wound in the process.

Legaretta said she feared the worst for Rohrs.

"Going through 10 minutes of thinking he was dead and Iā€™d never see him again, you donā€™t want that feeling again," she said as to why she welcomed the marriage proposal.

Are infants too young for late-night movies?

How to talk to your kids about shootings

 Post by:
Filed under: Colorado • Crime
soundoff (324 Responses)
  1. Schlomo

    Despite the whimpering and excuses, it sounds like the guy used the baby as a shield and threw the kid at the shooter in a last ditch attempt to save his own hide. I thought maybe he was holding a 5 year old that ran away out of his grasp, or something, but from what I understand he left the infant on the floor to be trampled. Couldn't find the baby? Did it grow wings and fly away? The woman is staring into the Void as if she knows it, but got wrapped up in the excitement of the day and would have agreed to anything, including marrying the guy, and is now wondering how the hell she can get out of it. I guess he sensed he should pop the question since she was probably going to dump him tomorrow. She doesn't seem to be feeling his pain.

    July 21, 2012 at 2:57 am | Report abuse |
  2. snowball

    Oh my gosh. If I was this guy I'd be so embarrassed the LAST thing I would do is get on tv and tell everyone of my failings.

    July 21, 2012 at 2:57 am | Report abuse |
  3. monsters

    "My 4 year old daughter loves Batman." says the mother who said "yes" to a proposal made during a disaster.
    A four year old girl isn't even old enough for a Barbie Doll let alone a violent bat man.

    July 21, 2012 at 6:37 am | Report abuse |
  4. Jason

    RUN PATRICIA RUN!!!
    This guy didn't want to hurt you guys so he left you. RUN! This tradgedy is not a sign that you could have lost him but more like a sign that you can do better for you and your kids!

    July 21, 2012 at 7:16 am | Report abuse |
  5. concerned dad

    I want to vomit at the sitght of this piece of crap father.

    July 21, 2012 at 8:17 am | Report abuse |
  6. Jan

    This guy saved himself and his wife and children to fend for themselves. What a tool!

    July 21, 2012 at 8:18 am | Report abuse |
  7. Jan

    Left*

    July 21, 2012 at 8:19 am | Report abuse |
  8. deb

    For one thing, they had babies at a Batman movie at midnight, then the dad ran out and left them. I don't want to see them on tv anymore. i'm happy they are all alive but they suck for bringing the kids

    July 21, 2012 at 8:31 am | Report abuse |
  9. deb

    Also, if you don't have a babysitter for the kids you don't do it, simple as that. These two need to grow up.

    July 21, 2012 at 8:37 am | Report abuse |
  10. deb

    @ RC..yes he did leave them. You a family family?

    July 21, 2012 at 8:39 am | Report abuse |
  11. deb

    ^
    @ RC..yes he did leave them. You a family member?

    July 21, 2012 at 8:48 am | Report abuse |
  12. SMH

    @ Vince....I raised my kids.....was a stay at home mom, spent many hours with them and still would not bring my children to movies like this. Nor would anyone else in my family. You are just trying to justify your own self.

    July 21, 2012 at 9:42 am | Report abuse |
  13. bobcat (in a hat)Ā©

    I can't believe how this man? actually had the balls to ask this woman to marry him. And this woman, knowing that he ran out, leaving her and the babies to fend for themselves, accepted. This coward was more concerned for himself than these people he professed to love. I guess she doesn't really care for the security of her children, unless of course she is going to be the one to supply the security while he wears his lace panties.

    July 21, 2012 at 11:45 am | Report abuse |
    • Loretta

      You hit it right on the money, a rooster could not have sung it clearer, there were three men in that theater that were real men, shielding their wives/girlfriends in order to take a bullet and put their lives to protect their loved ones, these men are the real heroes, this nut case runs for dear life, lol. He is quite a spectacle, please take these people off the news, it is embarrassing already for the people of N.M.

      July 25, 2012 at 7:18 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Jeff Miller

    I'm sure the Babies biological Father was impressed with his ex-wifes choice for a new man. I'd be most suprised if they even make it to the wedding drive-through.

    July 21, 2012 at 11:51 am | Report abuse |
  15. Tim

    Liberals have spent the last 40 years clipping the balls off men and boys. Tell them to cry, tell them not to fight, criticize every manly activity, then when some modern sissy shows his panties, act like it is a surprise.
    These are the wimps you wanted. He was just demonstrating how a clipped off mangina responds to an emergency.
    Enjoy!

    July 21, 2012 at 11:51 am | Report abuse |
    • Mike

      @Tim - dude, that's freaking hilarious. You are 100% right. The country neuters it's sons and then wonders why the grow up to be sissy men.

      July 22, 2012 at 8:12 am | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
« Back to main