Movie massacre: Shock, sadness, a search for clues

AURORA, Colo. — Investigators looking for clues to the motive behind a deadly shooting rampage inside a movie theater sought once again Saturday to enter the suspect's elaborately booby trapped apartment, warning it may mean removing trip wires that could detonate the explosives, as the Denver suburb grieved for the dozens of victims.

The FBI and Homeland Security Department said there was no information indicating more shooting sprees were planned at movie theaters around the country, according to an intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press.

Twelve people were killed and 58 were injured in the attack early Friday at the packed Aurora theater outside Denver. A few of those suffered injuries not by gunfire but in the chaos that ensued as the audience tried to flee the smoke-filled theater in a panicked dash for the doors, authorities said. Among the wounded, 11 were listed in critical condition.

After the shooting, police said they found his nearby apartment had been booby trapped and ordered residents in the building and surrounding homes to evacuate.

Authorities were not able to enter the apartment Friday night. Scores of law enforcement officials, including local bomb squad technicians and dozens of federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents gathered again at the apartment Saturday.

"It's safe right now with the evacuations so we don't want to rush anything," said Aurora police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson.

The apartment contains jars of unknown accelerants and trip wires, she said, noting authorities may be forced to detonate the explosives.

Fire crews stood by ready to fight any ensuing blaze.

Police grimly went door to door late Friday with a list of victims killed in the worst mass shooting in the U.S. in recent years, notifying families who had held out hope that their loved ones had been spared.

The deceased victims included 23-year-old Micayla Medek, said Anita Busch, the cousin of Medek's father. The family took the news hard, but knowing her fate after waiting without word brought them some peace, Busch said.

"I hope this evil act, that this evil man doesn't shake people's faith in God," she said.

Besides Medek, relatives confirmed that Alex Sullivan and Jessica Ghawi were among those killed, Sullivan on his 27th birthday.

It remained unclear Saturday what drove the suspect, identified as James Holmes, 24, to fire round after round at the unsuspecting audience watching "The Dark Knight Rises." Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said Holmes used a military-style semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a pistol that he had bought at local gun stores within the last two months. He also recently purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the Internet, the chief said.

The suspect's stellar academic record, apparent shy demeanor and lack of a criminal background made the attack even more difficult to fathom.

It also wasn't known why the suspect chose a movie theater to stage the assault, or whether he intended some twisted, symbolic link to the film's violent scenes.

The new Batman movie, the last in the trilogy starring Christian Bale, opened worldwide Friday with midnight showings in the U.S. The plot has the villain Bane facing Bale's Caped Crusader with a nuclear weapon that could destroy all of fictional Gotham.

In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: "It clearly looks like a deranged individual. He has his hair painted red. He said he was the Joker, obviously the enemy of Batman."

Oates would not confirm that information, but did say he spoke to Kelly. The two used to work together in New York. Asked whether Holmes had makeup to look like the Joker, Oates said: "That to my knowledge is not true."