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Fmr. FBI Special Agent Steve Moore on Holmes' homemade death trap
Fmr. FBI special agent Steve Moore weighs in on the exclusive new details surrounding the booby-trapped apartment of shooting suspect James Holmes.
Moore, who primarily worked overseas on crimes and counter-terrorism says, "when you get into that kind of complicated device...you really have to know what you're doing, you really have to put a lot of thought into it... you don't just come up with this kind of thing."
Law enforcement officials said that the apartment which contained 30 homemade explosive devices rigged to a control box in the kitchen, 10 gallons of gasoline in glass containers and various wires would have consumed the entire third floor.
30 IEDs and 10 gallons of gasoline found in the Colorado massacre suspect's apartment – Jim Spellman reports
CNN's Jim Spellman has exclusive details on the explosive-rigged apartment of Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes.
Spellman says it took officials almost two days before they were able to develop a strategy to disarm a control box connected to thirty home-made grenades. The IEDs were then carried out in buckets of sand, loaded onto a dump truck and taken to a desolate area before authorities intentionally triggered them to explode.
Dr. Morrison says Holmes' main reason for revenge was due to his failure in school
Dr. Helen Morrison says, Holmes "does fit the profile of an individual who becomes a mass murderer, meaning that he plans, he implements and the victims are usually individuals that he doesn't know but he's just chosen because of his anger and sense of revenge because of his rejections.”
Dr. Morrison goes on to say that Holmes' main reason for revenge was because he "was not making it in the doctoral program in neuroscience."
The graduate student dropped out of school in June.
Denver Post reporter says 'The defense is expected to seek a competency exam' for suspect
Denver Post reporter Jordan Steffen says police officials have removed the suspect's computer and are still interviewing neighbors to gather more information about the 24-year-old shooting suspect who was found at the scene. Steffen says authorities are also investigating how various materials arrived at the apartment. The suspect received some around forty packages in the months leading up to the massacre.
Steffen says while he did seem introverted, he also seemed very normal to a lot of people. Steffen went on to say, that "whether or not Holmes is deemed competent could determine if the defense will enter a not guilty plea by reason of insanity."
Ret. FBI Agent says Holmes' execution came down to “his motive, his ability to get these components and his education.”
During his arrest the 24-year-old shooting suspect told police he had booby-trapped his third-floor apartment, prompting investigators to evacuate the building and four others nearby.
Authorities spent Friday and Saturday trying to disarm possible explosives and collecting various materials, like some 30 softball-sized containers filled with gunpowder that were found in Holmes' apartment.
Ret. FBI Agent and explosive expert Ray Lopez says, “It could have been much worse had [the police] not been able to get inside the apartment and identify those chemicals and the other components they found in there."
Lopez says Holmes probably went on the internet to learn how to create and put various parts of his booby-trap together but it really boiled down to “his motive, his ability to get these components and his education.”
Thousands attend vigil for Colorado victims – Poppy Harlow reports on remembering the victims of Aurora
At a vigil lead by Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, thousands of well-wishers, family members and friends of the victims released heart-shaped balloons and lit candles as political and religious figures remembered their loved ones. In his speech Mayor Steve Hogan said, “The pain is still raw but we will reclaim our city in the name of kindness and compassion."
CNN's Poppy Harlow reports from Aurora, Colorado.
Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes due for his first court appearance – Jim Spellman reports
CNN's Jim Spellman brings the latest news on Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes and the current police investigation against him.
Spellman says the 24-year-old shooting suspect is due in court for an initial advisement. Holmes, who has not been cooperating with police is being kept in solitary confinement for his own protection.
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