Famous 2012 shootings and massacres tragically took the lives of dozens of innocent people and injured countless others. The details, methods and motives vary but in all of these cases, one or more people took the lives of others, sometimes even their own, leaving so many around the world searching for answers to the madness.
One of the most famous and deadly massacres of 2012 took place in the Colorado town of Aurora when James Holmes, dressed as the Joker, opened fire on a theater of fans who arrived for a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." The former neuroscience doctoral candidate allegedly planned the event, which killed 12 and injured 58, several months in advance though a motive was initially unknown.
For other events, a motive has ranged from political to personal. Wade Michawl Page killed six people in Wisconsin when he started shooting inside of a Sikh temple in what is believed to be a religious hate crime. Jeffery Johnson, who went on a shooting rampage outside of the Empire State Building killing at least two, allegedly was upset about being laid off from his job when he shot at strangers in New York City.
These tales sound like stories that would used as the basis for horror films but sadly they are all fact rather than fiction.
http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-2012-shootings-and-massacres/michael-gibson,
Wade Michael Page - Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooting
Gunman Wade Michael Page entered a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on August 5, 2012, fatally shooting six people and wounding four.
Jeffrey Johnson - Empire State Building Shooting
Disgruntled laid off worker Jeffrey Johnson opened fire outside of the Empire State Building in New York City on August 24, 2012, killing at least two and injuring at least nine.
James Holmes - Aurora Theater Shooting
On July 20, 2012, James Holmes entered a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" and shot moviegoers killing 12 and injuring another 58.
Robert Bales - Kandahar Massacre
Rogue United States Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales used various military weapons to kill 16 people and wound six others in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan on March 11, 2012.
Nathan Van Wilkins - Tuscaloosa Bar Shooting
The University of Alabama town of Tuscaloosa was rocked when Nathan Van Wilkins opened fire on a bar following losing his job, wounding 17 people.
Mohammed Naji Ahmed al-Amari - Yemen Shooting Spree
Attacking a prayer gathering in South Yemen over three days in August 2012, Mohammed Naji Ahmed al-Amari filled 7-10 people and wounded between 11 and 13 before he too was shot dead.
One L. Goh - Oikos University Shooting
Former Oikos University student One L. Goh returned to the school's campus on April 2, 2012, with a .45-caliber handgun where he killed seven people and injured another three.
Li - Chinese Teen Stabbing
A 17-year-old teen identified only as Li stabbed 13 people, killing nine, in the northeast portion of China in early August 2012.
Jiang Chun - Jilin Province Murders
Jiang Chun is suspected of murdering his wife and seven other people in the Jilin province of China in April 2012.
Nguyen Van Tien - Vietnam Stabbing Spree
Alleged drug addict Nguyen Van Tien is accused of going on a stabbing spree in Central Vietnam in August 2012 during which one died and 19 were injured.