Christian Bale -- Visiting 'Dark Knight Rises' Shooting Victims in Colorado

2:30 PM PT -- One of the shooting victims, Carey Rottman, was so excited to meet Bale ... he posted a photo of the hospital visit to his Facebook page moments ago (above).

Rottman is recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg he suffered in the attack.

"Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale is currently in Denver, CO ... visiting the victims and families of last week's movie theater shooting.

According to KDVR, Bale has been spotted at Aurora Medical Center ... where he reportedly arrived by ambulance around 2PM ... most likely to enter the building under the radar.

A rep for Warner Bros. released a statement saying, "Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing Warner Brothers."

It's unclear when Bale arrived in Denver.

Bale's film was playing in the Century 16 theater in Aurora, CO when James Holmes opened fire on the crowd ... killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.