Honduran Olympic Games footballer Roger Espinoza said he feared his sister may have been caught up in the deadly shooting rampage at a United States cinema.
Espinoza lives in Aurora, Colorado, and his 13-year-old sister Nicole regularly visits the theatre where James Holmes allegedly killed 12 people during a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," the latest film in the Batman franchise.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who plays with Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City, first learned of the shooting while in Paris preparing for the Olympics with the Honduras squad before they flew to Scotland.
He immediately contacted his parents, Anibal and Mercedes and is still trying to find out whether any friends were caught up in the massacre.
"I grew up just five minutes away from there and that is the movie theatre I used to go to when I was young," said Espinoza.
"One of my international teammates told me about it and I called my dad Anibal right away to see how the family was because I know my little sister Nicole, who is 13, loves going there now.
"The movie was pretty late, though, and I don't think my dad would have allowed her to go that late."
He added: "I don't think I had any friends involved, but I haven't had a chance to look at the names of those involved.
"I only arrived in Glasgow late on Friday night and I haven't had an opportunity to read as much about it as I would have liked.
"I just hope I didn't know any of the people involved. I still live there and my parents live there, so it is my hometown. That's my home."
"I was shocked when I heard about it and it reminded me a little bit of Columbine (where a high school shooting near Denver in April 1999 left 13 people dead).
"I feel for all those people. It is something very, very tough for the city and the state and all our prayers and thoughts are for the families affected."
Source: AFP
