Christian Bale, star of The Dark Knight Rises, on Tuesday paid surprise visit to the survivors of last week’s Colorado shooting and thanked hospital staff of the Medical Centre of Aurora and police officers involved in the rescue effort.

Batman star, who was in Europe promoting the film when the massacre struck, visited the hospital with his wife Sibi Blazic. Bale spent two-and-a-half hours talking to victims as well as doctors and paramedics, who responded to the attack that killed 12 people and injured 58.

Bale spoke personally to seven of 20 people, who are being treated at the centre after their injury in the late-night attack on Friday. He also posed for pictures with those injured in the gunfire. Carey Rottman, one of those injured in Colorado shooting, posted two photos of himself with Bale, on his Facebook page.

Janie Bowman-Hayes, assistant vice president of surgical services at Sister Hospital Swedish Medical Centre, said she and co-workers were attending a luncheon at The Medical Centre of Aurora to thank staff who tended to victims. “When we got there, then we found out he was there,” she said.

“He just said he wanted to come to thank all of us because he has been thinking about this. He knows the whole world has been thinking about this. He took it upon himself to come and thank us,” said Janie.

Bale also stopped by a growing memorial near the cinema and walked among the 12 crosses erected for each of the victims. A Warner Bros spokeswoman told The Denver Post that Bale was representing himself, not the film studio. Christian Bale previously said, “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.

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