US Army warns of potential violence at Joker screenings

The US Army has reportedly issued a warning to military commanders over the potential threat of violence during screenings of the upcoming film, Joker. The memo, from the US Army Base at Fort Sill Oklahoma, was shared by users on an Air Force Facebook page, and revealed that a bulletin posted by the Texas Joint Crime Information Center - working alongside the FBI - had discovered "disturbing and very specific chatter in the dark web" about the possible targeting for a mass shooting.

"Commanders need to be aware of this threat for soldier and family safety and to increase situational awareness should they choose to attend the release of this movie," the memo read. However, it was later removed from the Facebook page. The Todd Phillips-directed film is set to release in a few days. Many families of the victims who died in 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, after a gunman open fired at the local cinema during a showing of the Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises (2012), penned an open letter to Warner Bros calling them to take action against gun violence.

Reacting to the letter, the company issued a statement that read, "Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic.

At the same time, Warner Bros believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero."

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