The
man accused of opening fire in a crowded Colorado movie theater left a
trail of evidence that police say suggests the rampage was part of a
calculated plan that included killing anyone who tried to learn more
about him in the aftermath of the attack.The revelations raised new
questions about a possible motive in the attack in the suburban Denver
community of Aurora that shocked a nation. President
Barack Obama
was scheduled Sunday to meet with victims' families and get an update
on the investigation.Authorities have said little about what they
believe was the motive of suspect James E. Holmes, though investigators
say there is evidence planning was under way for up to two months before
the attack early Friday that left 12 dead and 58 wounded at the
theater.
On
Sunday, Obama was due to meet with the injured and the families of
those killed in Aurora, where the city was planning a vigil that was
expected to draw various public officials.Holmes, 24, is being held in
connection with the shootings at the theater and the subsequent
discovery of his booby-trapped
apartment,
which authorities believe he rigged before leaving for the Century
Aurora 16 multiplex.Holmes received a high volume of deliveries over the
past four months to both his home and work addresses, which police
believe begins to explain how he got his hands on some of the materials
used in the attack and those found at his apartment, said Aurora Police
Chief Daniel Oates."What we're seeing here is evidence of, I think, some
calculation and deliberation," Oates said."We have the evidence of a
deliberative process to commit this assault, and we have the evidence of
a deliberative process in his mind to attack whoever opened the door of
his apartment."
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told CNN's
"State of the Union" Sunday that he spent a day going from hospital to
hospital, talking with survivors.He concluded that Holmes was a person
who wanted to terrorize and instill fear in people's lives, but said he
can't conceive of a motive."This is a deeply troubled, twisted,
delusional person," he said.Police gained access Saturday to Holmes'
apartment after intentionally detonating two rigged
explosives.Technicians, with the help of a robot, worked to handle
traps, wires and possible explosive and incendiary devices, Jim Yacone, a
special agent with the FBI, told reporters Saturday.The operation
proceeded with an eye toward preserving evidence, all of which will be
sent to an FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, Yacone said.Hundreds of
residents were evacuated from five buildings, including the modest,
three-story brick building where Holmes told police he had rigged his
top-floor, one-bedroom apartment with explosives. All occupants except
those who live in the suspect's building were allowed to return home
Saturday night, police said.
While the threat to the apartment
building Holmes lived was eliminated Saturday, Oates said the residences
were being kept out at least until Sunday as investigators work "to
preserve evidence."As of Sunday, at least 17 people remained
hospitalized -- eight in critical condition -- in five area
hospitals.Aurora's residents, meanwhile, were grappling with the
aftermath of the carnage.Oates said the Century 16 multiplex would
remain shuttered at least until Wednesday to give police time to
complete the investigation inside and allow the suspect's defense team
access by Tuesday.Holmes, who is being held in the Arapahoe County
Jail,
is scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning. The court file was
sealed, according to a court order.Investigators have said little about
what may have led the suspect to open fire during a screening of the new
Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises."
Witnesses described the
gunman as wearing a gas mask that concealed much of his face and
head.Holmes' hair was dyed red, and he told police when he was arrested
in the rear parking lot of the theater minutes after the rampage that he
was "the Joker," according to a federal law enforcement source with
knowledge of the investigation. The source was not authorized to release
details to the media.The Joker has long been a fixture in Batman comics
and was famously portrayed by Heath Ledger in 2008's "The Dark Knight,"
the predecessor to "The Dark Knight Rises."Oates has declined to
release details about Holmes' appearance other than to describe what he
was wearing: a ballistic helmet and protective gear for his legs, throat
and groin, black gloves and a gas mask.He also said he would not
release the booking photo "for investigative reasons."
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