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‘Dark Knight Rises’ shooting: Cops deactivate elaborate booby trap in gunman James Holmes’ Colorado apartment

Bomb squads on Saturday morning successfully used a “controlled detonation” to disarm tripwires rigged to set off a maze of mysterious liquids and mortar shells.

By Bill Hutchinson / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Saturday, July 21, 2012, 1:52 PM
Updated: Saturday, July 21, 2012, 1:52 PM




BOB PEARSON/EPA

An officer in bomb protection gear walks outside the apartment of suspected gunman James Holmes in Aurora, Co. Holmes was apprehended following a shooting incident at the premiere of the latest Batman movie 'The Dark Knight Rises' at the Century 16 Theaters in Aurora. Twelve people were killed and 58 injured, making the shooting the worst since the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007.

Cops have started the process of deactivating an elaborate booby trap in Colorado gunman James Holmes’ apartment.
Bomb squads on Saturday morning successfully used a “controlled detonation” to disarm tripwires rigged to set off a maze of mysterious liquids and mortar shells.
They said they might have to use at least one more controlled detonation to dismantle the rest of the explosives the accused mass murderer jerry-rigged to maim and kill.
“We have been successful in defeating our first threat,” Sgt. Cassidee Carlson of the Aurora Police Department said at midmorning press briefing. “This is some serious stuff they're dealing with.”
“Detonation was successful,” the Aurora Police Department Tweeted at 1:40 p.m.
Carlson said firefighters were put into place and police evacuated the adjacent blocks around the apartment building.
“We have no idea how long any of this is going to take,” Carlson said. “We don’t need to rush anything.”
She said bomb techs hope to disarm the 800-square-foot apartment with as little damage as possible.
“We don’t want to lose evidentiary value,” Carlson said. “We’ll be cautious about how we deal with things.”
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Seen from the air, police surround the booby-trapped apartment of suspect James Holmes after he went on a shooting rampage at nearby Century 16 movie theatre during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises' on July 21.
Carlson said firefighters were put into place and police evacuated the adjacent blocks around the apartment building.
“We have no idea how long any of this is going to take,” Carlson said. “We don’t need to rush anything.”
She said bomb techs hope to disarm the 800-square-foot apartment with as little damage as possible.
“We don’t want to lose evidentiary value,” Carlson said. “We’ll be cautious about how we deal with things.”
Carlson admitted police have still not identified the contents of the some of the canisters in the apartment.
“There is still unknowns,” Carlson said. “We are aware of some jars that may contain accelerant.”
Now that the tripwires are dismantled, bomb-squad cops will tackle a second set of problems.
Chris Schneider/Getty Images

Law enforcement officials tow nearby cars as they prepare to disarm the booby-trapped apartment of suspect James Holmes after he went on a shooting rampage at nearby Century 16 movie theatre during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises' on July 21, 2012 in Aurora, outside of Denver, Colorado. According to reports, 12 people have been killed and over 59 injured. Police have the suspect, twenty-four year old James Holmes of North Aurora, in custody and are now dealing with various devices and trip wires in the apartment.


Sources told the Washington Post cops face up to 30 softball-size canisters packed in explosive powder. Other canisters appear to be large fireworks, some containing what is believed to be “smokeless powder.”
Finally, police will be confronted by a series of containers filled with mysterious brown liquid, bullets and black powder. Some of the liquids are as dark as Guinness beer topped with a layer of lighter colored liquids.
Officers hope to dismantle the explosive devices and move them to a dump truck filled with explosive-deadening sand.
Holmes, a neurosciences student, apparently set up a timer that triggered his stereo system to play loud techno music, hoping to prompt neighbors to call 911 and draw cops at the same time he was killing people at a movie theater five miles away.
Police believe Holmes set his apartment to blow up responders as they crashed through the door.


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