- At least 30 people remain hospitalized, including 11 in critical condition, governor says
- Police say the suspected gunman booby-trapped his apartment before leaving for the theater
- Police postponed until Saturday any attempt to enter the suspect's apartment
(CNN) -- There were few answers Saturday to the motive of a suspect who allegedly identified himself as "the Joker" after opening fire during a screening of the new Batman sequel at a Colorado movie theater.
Investigators have said little about what led suspect James E. Holmes to allegedly kill 12 people and wound 58 others during a rampage early Friday morning at a showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora.
As police began the process of notifying the families of those killed, authorities grappled with how to collect possible evidence from an apartment that Holmes allegedly booby-trapped before leaving for the theater.
Police evacuated hundreds of residents from five apartment buildings, including the one where Holmes lived, after he allegedly told them he had rigged his one-bedroom with explosives.
"It is a very vexing problem how to enter that apartment safely. I personally have never seen anything like what the pictures show us is in there," Police Chief Dan Oates told reporters.
"I see an awful lot of wire, trip wires, jars full of ammunition, jars full of liquid and ... things that look like mortar rounds."
A bomb disposal squad postponed until at least Saturday any attempt to enter the apartment.
With the help of the federal government, Oates said the police department was bringing in "extra resources to consult on exactly how to deal with the problem."
Holmes was dressed head-to-toe in black tactical gear, authorities said. He had colored his hair red and told police he was "the Joker" after he was arrested in the rear parking lot of the theater minutes after the shooting, according to a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation. The source was not authorized to release details to the media.
As investigators piece together the events that unfolded inside the Century Aurora 16, witnesses and police dispatch recordings paint a picture of a horror film brought to life.
Ten people were killed inside the theater while two others died at hospitals. By Friday night, the bodies were removed from the theater and authorities started "the agonizing process" of notifying families, Oates said.
Witnesses to the shooting described him as wearing a gas mask that concealed much of his face and head.
The federal law enforcement source's information about the suspect's appearance fits with a statement made to reporters by New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who said he was briefed by Colorado authorities in the aftermath of Friday's shooting.
Oates declined to release details about Holmes' appearance other than to describe what he was wearing, and said he would not release his booking photo "for investigative reasons."
He said the man was wearing a ballistic helmet and protective gear for his legs, throat and groin, black gloves and a gas mask.
The Joker has long been a fixture in Batman comics and was famously brought to life by the late Heath Ledger in 2008's "The Dark Knight," the predecessor to Friday's release of "The Dark Knight Rises." Ledger won a posthumous Academy Award for his sinister portrayal of the iconic villain who encourages anarchists to take over Gotham City.
The shooting unfolded inside a darkened theater packed with Batman fans, some in costume for the premiere of the movie.
Screaming, panicked moviegoers scrambled to escape from the black-clad gunman, who shot at random as he walked up the theater's steps, witnesses said.
It was a scene "straight out of a horror film," said Chris Ramos, who was inside the theater. "He was just literally shooting everyone, like hunting season."
Police said Holmes set off two devices of some kind before spraying the theater with bullets from an AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber handguns police recovered at the scene.
Holmes bought the guns legally at stores in the Denver area over the past two months, Oates said.
More than 6,000 rounds of ammunition were also purchased online, according to Oates.
A receipt obtained by CNN shows Holmes bought some of the tactical gear, including a vest and magazine pouch, online on July 2.
Aurora police said an investigation is under way on how the suspect entered the theater.
A law enforcement source working the investigation told CNN that the gunman walked into the movie theater after purchasing a ticket.
When the movie was under way, he went out a rear exit door, propping it open, and gathered weapons before re-entering through the door, said the source, who was not authorized to release the information.
As Holmes re-entered, he tossed a canister before starting to shoot, according to a second law enforcement source involved in the investigation and several witnesses.
A federal law enforcement official told CNN the man used tear gas, but Oates said Friday it was not clear what substance was in the canister.
Holmes surrendered without resistance within seven minutes of the first calls from panicked moviegoers, Oates said.
The youngest of the injured, a 4-month-old boy, was treated and released from a hospital, the child's mother said.
As of Friday, 30 people remained hospitalized, 11 of them in critical condition, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said.
Holmes is scheduled to appear in an Arapahoe County, Colorado, courtroom Monday morning, said Rob McCallum, a spokesman for the Colorado Judicial Department. The court file was sealed, according to a court order. He is being held in the Arapahoe County jail, Oates said.
A statement from Holmes' family in San Diego asked for "privacy during this difficult time."
"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved," the statement said, adding, "We are still trying to process this information."
CNN's Carol Cratty, Ed Lavandera, Susan Candiotti, Joe Sutton, Mike Brooks, Sarah Aarthun and Jim Spellman contributed to this report.
0 comments:
Post a Comment