Warner Bros says it hasn't scaled back promotion of The Dark Knight Rises following Friday's Batman theatre massacre in Aurora, Colorado, that left 12 people dead and at least 58 injured.

'We have not pulled back on ads or promotions,' Susan Fleishman, executive vice president of worldwide corporate communications at Warner Bros, said in an email.

The Warner Bros statement came as police continue to investigate one of the deadliest shootings in US history.

Despite Warner Bros' decision, NBC, CBS and ESPN have pulled TV ads for the movie from the airwaves of their own volition, according to media reports. Warner Bros also reportedly removed trailers of Gangster Squad, which includes a scene of armed men opening fire in a theatre.

Fleishman declined to comment on the impact of the tragedy on ticket sales. Warner Bros said it would not release box-office receipt figures until Monday out of respect for the victims and their families. Movie companies customarily release box-office data on Sundays.

Warner Bros also declined to comment on how the incident affected Saturday attendance for The Dark Knight Rises, which was one of the most anticipated movies of the year. There were no independent reports early Saturday on how the shooting affected attendance patterns.

Authorities have identified the gunman as 24-year-old James Eagen Holmes.

Holmes allegedly opened fire during a midnight viewing of The Dark Knight Rises inside a Century 16 movie theatre. He was arrested soon after outside the theatre.

At the time of the arrest, Holmes was wearing complete ballistic gear including a helmet, vest, shin guards, and groin and throat protectors. He was also wearing a gas mask, according to police.