Dozens of people were injured and at least 12 killed when a gunman, later named as 24-year-old James Holmes, opened fire during the midnight screening of Christopher Nolan's movie in Aurora.
© PA Images / Ed Andrieski/AP
NYPD police commissioner Ray Kelly said: "As a precaution against copycats and to raise the comfort levels among movie patrons in the wake of the horrendous shooting in Colorado, the New York City Police Department is providing coverage at theaters where the The Dark Knight Rises is playing in the five boroughs."
Meanwhile, New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg urged President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney to address the issue of gun control following the shooting.
"Soothing words are nice, but maybe it's time that the two people who want to be President of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country," he told The John Gambling Show with Mayor Mike.
© PA Images / Barry Gutierrez/AP
"Everybody always says, 'Isn't it tragic?' and you know, we look for was the guy, as you said, maybe trying to recreate Batman. I mean, there are so many murders with guns every day, it's just got to stop.
"Instead of the two people - President Obama and Governor Romney - talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, okay, tell us how."
Warner Bros has cancelled the planned Paris premiere of the film following the incident.
Holmes's apartment is currently "booby-trapped", police have confirmed. Emergency services are at the suspect's flat which contains explosives that appear to be "highly sophisticated", according to officers.
