Heath Ledger's Father: We Can't Blame Heath for the Dark Knight Rises Tragedy

Late actor's dad says fictional characters aren't the problem and calls for tighter U.S. gun control laws

Following the tragic shooting at a Dark Knight Rises screening in Colorado Friday, Heath Ledger's father spoke out, saying "we can't blame Heath or the [Joker] character" for the incident.

"It's [the Joker] fictitious. I don't know what this does to the character," Kim Ledger told Australia's Herald Sun. "I think that's the least of my worries. I'd be more worried about the families and other people involved in the tragedy.''

Heath Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight before he passed away from an accidental drug overdose in January 2008.

James Holmes, the alleged gunman who fired rounds into the movie theater crowd leaving 12 people dead, painted his hair red and, per police, said he was the Joker the evening of the incident, according to New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. 

"It's terrible—the whole circumstances,'' the elder Ledger continued. "The guy's obviously a nut case. He has obviously lost it. I think what America should be doing is restricting the availability of ammunition or revisiting their gun laws—that's what they should be doing.''