Aurora shootings survivor says Navy training saved her life

Aurora shootings survivor says Navy training saved her life
By JIM CARNEY
Akron Beacon Journal
Published: July 28, 2012

AKRON, Ohio — Carli Richards instinctively knew the smell.

The former Summit County woman had learned all about tear gas in Navy basic training.

And so when a tear gas canister was tossed at her and her boyfriend inside the dark theater in Aurora, Colo., during the midnight premiere a week ago of the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, her “fight or flight” instinct kicked in.

“I dropped my purse on the way out with all of my cards — insurance, ID, bank card as well as my cell phone and car keys,” Richards, 22, said of her escape as a gunman fired into the crowded theater.

Authorities say James Holmes killed a dozen moviegoers and wounded nearly 60, including Richards.

The Akron native ran for the exit as soon as the gunfire started with her boyfriend, also a Navy veteran, following close behind.
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