[h=3]By Gary Strauss and Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY[/h]Updated
AURORA, Colo. – Bomb experts on Saturday prepared to enter the booby-trapped, bomb-laden apartment of the suspected gunman who police say killed 12 and wounded 58 after a shooting rampage in a packed movie cineplex.
By Alex Brandon, AP
Fire and law enforcement officials talk near the apartment of alleged gunman James Holmes on Saturday before authorities attempted to enter.
Aurora police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson told reporters that officials she called "the best of the best" have a plan that includes first removing any trip wires, disposing of any incendiary devices and finally doing a controlled detonation that could result in a fire.
Carlson stressed the need to go slow for public safety but also to preserve any evidence that may be inside the apartment.
"It's safe right now with the evacuation, we don't need to rush anything" she said. "We don't want to lose evidentiary value. We're going to be very cautious with how we deal with things."
Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates halted the effort Friday, in part because his overworked force needed a break, but also to bring in more bomb-disposal expertise. Oates called the booby traps "sophisticated and vexing."
Ammunition, bottles filled with liquids believed to be fire accelerants, gunpowder containers and 30 commercial grade fireworks canisters known as mortars littered the apartment of alleged shooter James Holmes.
Authorities will alert people before that happens and tell them what to expect. The controlled detonations could last all day.
The 30 shells removed from the apartment will be put in a sand truck and taken to a disposal site where there will be a controlled detonation and evidence will be collected, Carlson said.
Aurora police called in federal bomb experts and are using robots to break into the apartment, a small, one-bedroom in an aging, three-story building. Experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were believed to be leading the bomb removal effort.
They were preparing to use a robot to trigger a "controlled device" to destroy the booby trap, then plan to remove the fireworks canisters in sand-filled trucks and set them off in an safe area outside of town.
Video: Eyewitnesses recount shooting in Aurora, Colo., movie theater during showing of 'The Dark Knight Rises.'
As a precautionary measure, Aurora police towed several vehicles this morning from the parking lot outside the building to reduce the potential danger of secondary fire and to give the bomb squad and firefighters more room to maneuver.
Four other apartment buildings and several small businesses have been evacuated since Friday. Hundreds of residents were forced to move to an evacuation center at a nearby high school. Crime tape prevented residents and onlookers from a several block area.
James Rodgers, who lives in a building just beyond the roped-off crime scene, said dozens of cops and firefighters have surrounded the building since Friday morning.
"It's scary to think of what could go off in there,'' Rodgers, 56, said. "I'm wondering why they didn't evacuate more of the area."
Friday evening police escorted residents individually and in pairs to their apartment units so they could quickly gather personal items.
Roberto Martinez, who lives in a building next to the suspect's, had not been home since 4:30 a.m. Friday. He was escorted into his apartment and came out with a trash bag filled with items including toiletries, ice, a basketball and Air Jordan shoes.
He opted to stay in a hotel for the night instead of a shelter at a local high school, where some families with children were staying.
.
That building, as well as four other apartment buildings and several small businesses, have been evacuated since Thursday, with hundreds of residents forced to an evacuation center at a nearby high school. Crime tape prevented residents and on-lookers from a several block area.
James Rodgers, who lives in a building just beyond the roped off crime scene, said dozens of cops and firefighters have surrounded the building since Friday morning.
"It's scary to think of what could go off in there,'' Rodgers, 56, said. "I'm wondering why they didn't evacuate more of the area.
Contributing: Kevin Johnson in McLean, Va.
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AURORA, Colo. – Bomb experts on Saturday prepared to enter the booby-trapped, bomb-laden apartment of the suspected gunman who police say killed 12 and wounded 58 after a shooting rampage in a packed movie cineplex.
By Alex Brandon, AP
Fire and law enforcement officials talk near the apartment of alleged gunman James Holmes on Saturday before authorities attempted to enter.
Aurora police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson told reporters that officials she called "the best of the best" have a plan that includes first removing any trip wires, disposing of any incendiary devices and finally doing a controlled detonation that could result in a fire.
Carlson stressed the need to go slow for public safety but also to preserve any evidence that may be inside the apartment.
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"It's safe right now with the evacuation, we don't need to rush anything" she said. "We don't want to lose evidentiary value. We're going to be very cautious with how we deal with things."
Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates halted the effort Friday, in part because his overworked force needed a break, but also to bring in more bomb-disposal expertise. Oates called the booby traps "sophisticated and vexing."
Ammunition, bottles filled with liquids believed to be fire accelerants, gunpowder containers and 30 commercial grade fireworks canisters known as mortars littered the apartment of alleged shooter James Holmes.
Authorities will alert people before that happens and tell them what to expect. The controlled detonations could last all day.
The 30 shells removed from the apartment will be put in a sand truck and taken to a disposal site where there will be a controlled detonation and evidence will be collected, Carlson said.
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Aurora police called in federal bomb experts and are using robots to break into the apartment, a small, one-bedroom in an aging, three-story building. Experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were believed to be leading the bomb removal effort.
They were preparing to use a robot to trigger a "controlled device" to destroy the booby trap, then plan to remove the fireworks canisters in sand-filled trucks and set them off in an safe area outside of town.
Video: Eyewitnesses recount shooting in Aurora, Colo., movie theater during showing of 'The Dark Knight Rises.'
As a precautionary measure, Aurora police towed several vehicles this morning from the parking lot outside the building to reduce the potential danger of secondary fire and to give the bomb squad and firefighters more room to maneuver.
Four other apartment buildings and several small businesses have been evacuated since Friday. Hundreds of residents were forced to move to an evacuation center at a nearby high school. Crime tape prevented residents and onlookers from a several block area.
James Rodgers, who lives in a building just beyond the roped-off crime scene, said dozens of cops and firefighters have surrounded the building since Friday morning.
"It's scary to think of what could go off in there,'' Rodgers, 56, said. "I'm wondering why they didn't evacuate more of the area."
Friday evening police escorted residents individually and in pairs to their apartment units so they could quickly gather personal items.
Roberto Martinez, who lives in a building next to the suspect's, had not been home since 4:30 a.m. Friday. He was escorted into his apartment and came out with a trash bag filled with items including toiletries, ice, a basketball and Air Jordan shoes.
He opted to stay in a hotel for the night instead of a shelter at a local high school, where some families with children were staying.
.
That building, as well as four other apartment buildings and several small businesses, have been evacuated since Thursday, with hundreds of residents forced to an evacuation center at a nearby high school. Crime tape prevented residents and on-lookers from a several block area.
James Rodgers, who lives in a building just beyond the roped off crime scene, said dozens of cops and firefighters have surrounded the building since Friday morning.
"It's scary to think of what could go off in there,'' Rodgers, 56, said. "I'm wondering why they didn't evacuate more of the area.
Contributing: Kevin Johnson in McLean, Va.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.