James Holmes Goes Before Court Next Week For Aurora, Colorado Shooting

Among the 71 people who fell victim to the shootings at the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in the Century 16 movie theater, 12 have been confirmed dead and 59 injured. The event is said to be largest mass shooting in U.S. history because of the number of casualties.

An Aurora Police Department representative, Officer Frank Fania, told the International Business Times that 10 victims died in the theater while two others died at area hospitals.

Victims were transported by police, ambulance, and by personal vehicles to several area hospitals, Fania said.

Victim Identification Continues

Police are still working to identify all the victims, and their families have not yet been notified, police said.

Reasons being, this is still an active investigation at the crime scene, Fania said. We ask that people respect the privacy of these families. Resources are being offered to victims and families.

Although police haven't identified the victims as of yet, the family of an aspiring sportcaster named Jessica Ghawi confirmed to media outlets that she was fatally shot. Ghawi was tweeting about the new Batman movie minutes before the shootings, which police were alerted to early Friday.

Since then, more than 200 witnesses have been interviewed, but police haven't yet been able to verify all witness statements.

Fania said no booking photos of Holmes will be released. Holmes' criminal record contained only a traffic summons. Officers arrested Holmes without incident by his car outside the movie theater. They recovered four guns from the shooting, one of which was in the theater. The guns included an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun, and two handguns.

Working To Determine Point Of Entry

Investigators are now working to determine how Holmes entered the theater. They also haven't yet established a motive for the shootings.

We are confident that the shooter acted alone, police said. However we are following up on all leads. The suspect deployed two devices in the theater. These devices released some smoke or some sort of irritant. The suspect then opened fire.

A police press release stated that within minutes of the first 911 call, officers arrived on the scene. When they found Holmes, he was outfitted in complete ballistic gear included a ballistic helmet, vest, shin guards, groin and throat protector. He also had a gas mask.

Two Crime Scenes

Aurora police are now left with two crime scenes on their hands. Along with investigating the movie theater, they are also checking out Holmes' home at 1690 Paris St. Police are unable to enter the apartment, however, because it appears to be booby trapped.

Therefore, no entry has been made by law enforcement, Fania said. A robot was sent in and it appears there are several items and devices located within residence.

All residents have been evacuated from the building, but it is still a very active scene.

How To Help

-- Individuals wanting to report tips, call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

-- Victims and witnesses, call 303-739-1862.

-- People wanting to donate, call 303-739-6346.