USA: Police say they have disabled a tripwire at the Colorado shooting suspect's apartment, but more devices remain.

Record ID: 324587

  • Title: USA: Police say they have disabled a tripwire at the Colorado shooting suspect's apartment, but more devices remain.
  • Date: 21st July 2012
  • Summary: AURORA, COLORADO (JULY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) MORE OF BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERTS NEAR APARTMENT
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7P71605PNG8OIFBPGO2TJKM
  • Story Text: Colorado police said on Saturday (July 21) they disabled a tripwire at the booby-trapped apartment of the suspect accused of going on a shooting rampage in a crowded movie theater during a showing of the new "Batman" film, killing 12 and wounding dozens of others.

    "We have been successful in defeating the first threat, which includes defeating the tripwire and the first incendiary device. What you need to understand is that this tripwire was set up to clearly detonate when somebody entered that apartment and it was set up to kill that person," Aurora police spokeswoman Sergeant Cassidee Carlson said at a news briefing outside the suspect's apartment building.

    "There are other devices inside. I'm not going in to detail about what those devices are," she added.
    Dozens of law enforcement officials are at the Aurora, Colorado, apartment of suspect James Holmes, who officials believe booby trapped his home with what appear to be sophisticated explosives before going on a shooting rampage that killed 12 people and wounded dozens more.
    Police have evacuated five nearby buildings and created a perimeter of several blocks around Holmes' apartment, the top-floor unit of a three-story red brick building in a run-down neighborhood. Carlson said the exclusion perimeter would be extended if a controlled explosion occurred.

    "In the second phase, this may include the controlled detonation of another triggering mechanism. I spoke to you about that this morning. If that's to occur, keeping public safety in mind, we'll be shutting down Peoria Street behind me and doing a reverse 911 call and you all will be notified. Shall this controlled detonation occur, there will be a loud boom associated with that," she said.
    The shooting occurred in the early hours of Friday morning (July 20) as hundreds of people watched a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" at a mall in Aurora.
    The gunman -- a 24-year-old student -- armed with an assault rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, and wearing a full suit of tactical body armor, a helmet and a gas mask -- set off two smoke bombs before opening fire in the dark theater.
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