Aurora tragedy sparks memory of 1990 shooting

The early morning massacre at the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” on July 20 at the AMC theatre in Aurora, Colo., has left moviegoers around the nation shocked and troubled.
It reminded some Nassau County residents of an incident that occurred 22 years ago at the Sunrise Multiplex Theatre in Valley Stream. While the numbers of killed and injured were far fewer in the Sunrise incident, it was similar enough for people to make a connection. On Christmas Day 1990, during a showing of “The Godfather Part III” at the Valley Stream theater, a shooting left one dead and three wounded. The victim, 15-year-old Tremain Hall, was hit by one of 25 bullets shot during the film.
“Very chaotic, very disturbing,” former Valley Stream Mayor John DeGrace said about the atmosphere in the village following the incident. “Obviously we were very, very concerned about the well-being of our residents who were attending the theater at that time.”
Dianna Cunningham, 38, a former Valley Stream resident who now lives in Lynbrook, said she remembers the incident well. “It was bad before the shooting and it was a shame we had to go out of our own town just to go to the movies,” she said. “I remember one high school senior lost his left eye.”
DeGrace, who served as mayor from 1987 to 1991, attended numerous meetings with theater staff, police officials and security experts to determine what steps could be made to better protect moviegoers following the 1990 shooting. Ultimately, a decision was made to install metal detectors in the theater, making it harder to bring weapons in. But few movie houses followed the example.
Brian Begley, 45, now of Bellevue, Neb., lived in Valley Stream until 1995 and his parents still live there. “I remember after that we had to go through metal detectors to enter the theater,” he said. “Crazy times.”