KTVQ.com

Still grappling with the inexplicable tragedy at a Colorado movie theater last week, families of the massacre victims must now embark on the heavy task of laying their loved ones to rest.

O… Click to Read More and see additional updates

Still grappling with the inexplicable tragedy at a Colorado movie theater last week, families of the massacre victims must now embark on the heavy task of laying their loved ones to rest.

On Wednesday, a memorial service will take place for 51-year-old Gordon Cowden, who took his two teenage children to see a midnight premiere of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises." Cowden's children survived.

Nine miles away, visitation will take place for Micayla Medek, a 23-year-old woman who was working toward her college degree.

Actor Christian Bale, star of "The Dark Knight Rises," surprised residents in Aurora on Tuesday when he visited a memorial for the victims and met with survivors of the shooting spree, CNN affiliate KDVR reported.

One of the victims, Carey Rottman, posted a picture of Bale visiting him in his hospital room on Facebook.

"Wow!!! Thank you so much for the visit Christian!! What a great guy! Still in shock!," Rottman wrote, according to KDVR.

Amid the tragedy, other survivors also had reasons to celebrate.

Petra Anderson suffered four shotgun wounds, including one in her head. But thanks in part to a brain abnormality, she survived, her pastor said.

"The doctor explains that Petra's brain has had from birth a small 'defect' in it. It is a tiny channel of fluid running through her skull, like a tiny vein through marble, or a small hole in an oak board, winding from front to rear," Brad Strait of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, Colorado, wrote on his blog.

"Like a marble through a small tube, the defect channels the bullet from Petra's nose through her brain. It turns slightly several times, and comes to rest at the rear of her brain. And in the process, the bullet misses all the vital areas of the brain. In many ways, it almost misses the brain itself," he said.

Anderson has started physical and speech therapy and is able to walk, talk and laugh, said Andrew Roblyer, a family friend.

And shooting victim Caleb Medley and his wife, Katie, welcomed newborn son Hugo Jackson Medley on Tuesday morning. Both the mother and baby were doing well, the University of Colorado Hospital said.

But Caleb Medley, who was shot in the head, lost an eye and sustained from brain damage.

"The surgeon came and talked to us and said he'd be in ICU at least a week," said Medley's friend, Michael West, who set up a website to help take care of medical bills and the needs of Medley's family.

"I knew it was going to rack up in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions," West said of his friend's medical expenses.

Medley, who had been doing standup comedy routines in Denver and was working full-time at Target, had no health insurance, his brother Seth said.

Money are also streaming into GivingFirst.org, which is accepting donations for victims and relatives of the shooting. By Tuesday, the amount had reached almost $2 million, Gov. John Hickenlooper said.

"The needs will be great and we look forward to seeing the fund grow exponentially," he said. "This money will help those impacted by this tragedy begin to recover and rebuild their lives."

Hickenlooper said donors include Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, co-producers of "The Dark Knight Rises."

Sources at Warner Bros. studios told CNN that the company made a "substantial" donation. Warner Bros., a subsidiary of CNN's parent company Time Warner, would not divulge how much money it was giving out of respect for the victims, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the suspect in last week's shooting rampage is scheduled to be formally charged July 30.

(CNN) -- The man accused of opening fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, is set to make his first court appearance today, giving the public its first look at the suspect since his arrest in an attack that authorities say was planned months in advance.

James E. Holmes, 24, is likely to face first-degree murder -- an offense that carries a possible death penalty, if convicted -- in the shooting deaths, given allegations over the weekend by police that there is evidence to suggest "calculation and deliberation" in the rampage.

Holmes is being held in connection with the early Friday morning shootings that left 12 dead and 58 wounded, and the subsequent discovery of his booby-trapped apartment, which authorities believe he rigged before leaving for the Century Aurora 16 multiplex.

Authorities have been tight-lipped about a possible motive in the case, though police spokesman Frank Fania told CNN late Sunday that Holmes has been uncooperative with investigators and requested an attorney.

Arapahoe County public defender James O'Connor has been assigned to the case. The Colorado Judicial Department declined to say whether Holmes requested a public defender. A telephone call by CNN to O'Connor's office was not immediately returned.

Holmes' court appearance will come a few hours before his family is expected to break their silence with some sort of statement. The family, who lives in San Diego, has not spoken publicly since the allegations were leveled against Holmes.

Lisa Damiani, an attorney representing the family, told CNN the statement would be made at her San Diego office.
Over the weekend, Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates told reporters that there was "evidence of, I think, some calculation and deliberation."

Holmes received a high volume of deliveries over the past four months to both his home and work addresses, which police believe begins to explain how he got his hands on some of the materials used in the attack and those found at his apartment, Oates said.

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where Holmes enrolled in 2011 as a doctoral candidate in its neuroscience program, was investigating whether Holmes received any of the alleged shipments while working as a research assistant at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

University spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery would not comment on reports that authorities were looking into whether Holmes allegedly used his position to obtain materials used to booby-trap his apartment.

As of late Sunday, at least 17 people remained hospitalized -- eight in critical condition -- in five area hospitals.

President Barack Obama met Sunday with survivors and the families of those killed during a visit to Aurora, where thousands of residents gathered for a prayer vigil that drew state and local officials.

"I confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but that my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment, and will continue to think about them each and every day," Obama told reporters after the meeting at the University of Colorado Hospital.

"It reminds you that even in the darkest of days, life continues and people are strong and people bounce back and people are resilient," the president said, after describing the recovery of some victims. "Out of this darkness a brighter day is going to come."

Remembering the theater shooting victims Family, friends honor shooting victims Wounded survivor recalls carnage
Though much attention has been paid the past couple of days to the "perpetrator of this evil act," that spotlight will fade, leaving behind just the good memories of those impacted by the tragedy, Obama said.

Aurora is bracing for another emotional week as families begin making funeral arrangements.

It was not immediately known when the coroner would release the bodies, though it was expected to occur early this week.

It also became clear that more people may have been killed if the semi-automatic rifle the gunman was had not jammed.
One survivor, Josh Nowlan, sustained gunshot wounds, but said he is happy just to be alive. He wouldn't be, he said, if the suspect's weapon had not jammed.

"I know I wouldn't be here. If that gun did not jam, I am full certain that I probably would not be here," he said from his hospital bed Saturday.

A law enforcement source, who spoke Sunday with CNN on condition of anonymity, said the semi-automatic rifle jammed because of a problem with the 100-shot magazine feeding it.

The military-style AR-15 had a separately purchased drum magazine, which can have trouble feeding bullets into the firing chamber if the gun is fired rapidly, the source said.

Investigators say the rifle was one of three guns used by the suspect, along with a shotgun and a .40-caliber pistol.

The man suspected in the mass shooting at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater screening of the new Batman film early Friday had colored his hair red and told police he was "the Joker," according to a federal law enforcement source with detailed knowledge of the investigation.

At least 12 people were killed in the rampage and 59 were wounded.

The mug shot of James E. Holmes has not yet been released. Witnesses to the shooting described him as wearing a gas mask that concealed much of his face and head. But the federal law enforcement source's information about the suspect's appearance fits with a statement from New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who was briefed by Colorado authorities Friday.

Meanwhile, authorities were faced with the difficult task of entering Holmes' Aurora apartment, which was left rigged with traps.

"It's booby-trapped with various incendiary and chemical devices and trip wires," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said, adding that it could take days to work through the apartment safely.

Five buildings around the apartment building were evacuated, Oates said.

Police say Holmes, 24, dressed head-to-toe in protective tactical gear, set off two devices of some kind before spraying the theater with bullets from an AR-15 rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber handguns police recovered at the scene.

A law enforcement source said the weapons were purchased legally at sporting goods stores in the Denver area over the past six months.

Oates said investigators are "confident" that Holmes acted alone.

The shooting unfolded inside a darkened theater packed with Batman fans, some in costume for the premiere of the movie "The Dark Knight Rises." Screaming, panicked moviegoers scrambled to escape from the black-clad gunman, who wore a gas mask and randomly shot as he walked up the theater's steps, witnesses said.

It was a scene "straight out of a horror film," said Chris Ramos, who was inside the theater.

"He was just literally shooting everyone, like hunting season," Ramos said.

The gunman went to the rear door of Century 16 theater and propped it open, then tossed in a canister before starting to shoot, according to a federal law enforcement source involved in the investigation.

A federal law enforcement official told CNN the man used tear gas, but Oates said Friday afternoon that it was not clear what the substance was.

Holmes surrendered without resistance within seven minutes of the first calls from panicked moviegoers reporting the shooting, Oates said. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, court officials said.

Police officers swarming to the theater encountered bloody, groaning victims streaming out of the complex. Others remained inside, many with gruesome injuries, according to recordings of emergency calls with dispatchers.

Victims flooded overwhelmed hospitals. One of the injured is just 4 months old, the child's mother said. The infant was treated and released from the hospital.

"I don't know how else to explain it. It's horrific," said Tracy Lauzon, director of EMS and trauma services at Aurora Medical Center.

Oates said the man was wearing a ballistic helmet and protective gear for his legs, throat and groin, black gloves and a gas mask.

Jennifer Seeger, who survived the attack, said she had seen the man and thought his get-up was part of the entertainment for the film's debut.

She said the man first shot toward the ceiling, then began shooting at people. He reloaded during his attack, she said.

"He was just literally just massacring anybody that got up that was trying to run away," Seeger said.

Holmes is scheduled to appear in an Arapahoe County, Colorado, courtroom Monday morning, Rob McCallum, spokesman for the Colorado Judicial Department, said Friday. The court file was sealed, according to a court order.

A statement from Holmes' family in San Diego asked for "privacy during this difficult time."

"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved," the statement said, adding, "We are still trying to process this information."

The FBI is assisting in the investigation, officials said.

FBI officials said it did not appear the incident was related to terrorism.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said the attack was the work of a "very deranged mind."

"Obviously no words can express the intensity of this tragedy," he said.

Shooting turns movie into surreal horror: 'This is real'

President Barack Obama canceled campaign events Friday, telling supporters at what had been scheduled as a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, that "there will be other days for politics."

"This will be a day for prayer and reflection," he said, calling for the country to unite as one and support the victims.

"Such violence, such evil is senseless. It is beyond reason," he said before ending the event to return to Washington.

Flags at the White House were lowered to half-staff Friday afternoon in honor of the victims.

CNN iReporter Adam Witt, who was in the theater, said it took a few gunshots before he figured out what was going on.

"I hit the floor and hid behind the seats in front of me, pulling my wife down to hide with me," Witt said. "It was the longest minute of my life. The gunshots just kept coming. I knew it could be over any second. I knew my wife could be gone any second. It was absolutely surreal. I felt something hit my left arm, and my first thought was, 'At least it's just my arm.'"

"There were so many people running," he said. "I didn't look back. I just remember getting up from the floor and shouting, 'We have to run.'"

Witt said he held his wife's hand as they rushed out of the theater.

"There was a moment where I lost her hand, but I grabbed her shirt," he said. "We didn't let go of each other."

Quentin Caldwell, who was attending a screening in the adjacent theater, said he wasn't sure at first what was going on when he heard a "pop, pop, pop, pop" sound.

"We really didn't know something was happening until someone came from the left entrance and said we should not go outside because somebody with a gun was out there," he said.

Armed guards appeared at the theater exit and demanded audience members raise their arms to ensure they were not carrying weapons, then told them to run, Caldwell said.

Timeline: Worst mass shootings in U.S.

Officers rushed many of the wounded to hospitals in their patrol cars.

Police initially said 14 people had died -- 10 in the theater and four at area hospitals -- but revised the death toll to 12 later Friday morning, according to Aurora Police Lt. Jad Lanigan. The initial injury count of 38 was revised upward to 59 Friday afternoon.

Several people remained in critical condition at hospitals.

It may take hours or even days to clear Holmes' apartment, Oates said.

Investigators looking into a window with a camera have seen a sophisticated booby-trap with trip wires connecting incendiary and chemical devices, he said.

Oates said he has never seen anything like it.

A woman who lives across the street from the suspect's apartment said police evacuated her building around 4 a.m.

"They told us there was a bomb or bomb material located in the house across the street from us." Rebecca Bradshaw said.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents were involved in the apartment search, agency spokesman Tom Mangan said.

In addition to looking into the possibility of explosives, ATF agents are conducting emergency traces on the weapons to see how they were obtained, Mangan said.

A law enforcement source said two of the guns were purchased at a Bass Pro Shop in Denver, while the two others were bought at separate Gander Mountain Guns outlets in the area. Investigators also found a drum magazine, capable of carrying 100 rounds of ammunition, which was attached to the AR-15 rifle, two law enforcement officials said.

Authorities also searched the suspect's car in the parking lot of the movie theater.

Warner Bros., the studio behind the movie, said the company and filmmakers were "deeply saddened" to learn of the incident. The studio canceled the movie's Paris premiere, while New York police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said his officers would watch over screenings of "The Dark Knight" in the city to prevent copycat shootings.

Aurora, a Denver suburb, is about 13 miles from Littleton, Colorado -- site of the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

In that incident, two teenage students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, armed themselves with guns and bombs and shot people inside the high school. They killed 13 and wounded 23 before killing themselves.

Family and friends gathered at a high school nearby the Colorado movie theater where a gunmen opened fire Friday, hoping and praying to find missing loved ones.

Witnesses to the mass shooting at a midnight showing of the latest Batman film in Aurora were brought to Gateway High School by authorities. At least 12 people were killed and dozens of more were injured when a gas mask-wearing man sprayed bullets on a crowd in front of one of the Century 16 theaters at the Aurora Mall at 12:30 a.m.

or on scene, but some parents and relatives showed up to the school Friday morning with hopes to reunite with kids they were unable to reach. Tom Sullivan held up a flyer of his son, Alex, asking reporters if they had seen him, according to the Associated Press. Alex was celebrating his 27th birthday by attending the premiere.

The suspect apprehended in the mass shooting at a suburban Denver movie theater has been identified as James Eagan Holmes, 24, law enforcement sources told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

Twelve people died in the shooting at a showing of the new Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., early Friday morning. A law enforcement source told Orr the shooting appears to have been carried out by a lone gunman.

One federal official told CBS News that at this time Holmes appears to have been "under the radar." CBS News reports Holmes doesn't appear to have a criminal record in Colorado or in San Diego, Calif., where he graduated from high school. Pentagon officials said there is no record of Holmes having served in any branch of the military.

San Diego police read a statement from Holmes' California family that their hearts go out to those involved. They say they're cooperating with authorities in San Diego and Aurora and are trying to process everything. San Diego police spokeswoman Andra Brown said there's nothing to suggest the family had any involvement.

According to the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Holmes was in the process of dropping out of medical school. School spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said in a statement that Holmes enrolled at the school in June 2011. She didn't say why he was withdrawing.

The University of California, Riverside, confirmed to CBS News that Holmes graduated in 2010 with a degree in neuroscience.

There was no immediate word of any motive for the attack. Federal law enforcement officials were briefed on the attack, but at this point there is no indication it is terrorism-related, CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports.

AURORA, Colo. - A gas mask-wearing gunman opened fire early Friday at a suburban Denver movie theater, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens more injured, police said.

The violent and chaotic scene erupted about 12:30 a.m. local time as the suspected gunman, identified as 24-year-old James Holmes, stood at the front of one of the Century 16 theaters at the Aurora Mall where the latest Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" was playing. Witnesses reported that the gunman entered the theater through an emergency exit door and threw a gas canister before opening fire.

"Then it was a blur," Spenser Sherman told "CBS This Morning" said. "Then I heard a couple gunshots."

"I thought it was part of the movie, like a fun little prank - that it would be over in a few seconds. It obviously wasn't."

She said she only saw a silhouette of the suspect, and that the gunman said nothing.

"Everybody had dropped to the floor after the first couple gunshots, and then he fired some more. And then after that, there was a pause in the gunshots. Some people say he was reloading, I don't know. But at that point, my boyfriend was like 'This is the time, we need to go, we need to get out of the theater right now.' So we ran."

Jennifer Seeger told CBS Station KCNC the suspect first fired up towards the ceiling, as if to scare people, and then started spraying the audience. He pointed the gun directly at her; she ducked. "He had a gas mask on so I couldn't see his face," she said. "All I smelled was gunpowder in the air, and gas was getting to me."

Police, ambulances and emergency crews swarmed on the scene after frantic calls started flooding the 911 switchboard, officials said.

Officers found Holmes near a car behind the theater. He surrendered without resistance, police said.

Police recovered four guns at the theater - one shotgun, two pistols and what is believed to be an assault rifle, a law enforcement source told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. Authorities also recovered a gas mask.

Aurora Police chief Dan Oates said there's no evidence of any other attackers. There was also no immediate word of any motive. Federal law enforcement officials are being briefed on the attack, but at this point, there is no indication it is terrorism-related, CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports.

The suspect spoke of "possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat," Oates said. Police were at the Denver-area apartment and had evacuated other residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found, but Orr reports that Holmes' residence was "booby-trapped" and police can see what looks like "buckets of extra ammunition" and some kind of chemicals, according to a law enforcement source.

He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and theater, and secured those areas.

Holmes, the suspect, has no known criminal record. He previously lived in San Diego, records show.

It was the worst mass shooting in the United States since 32 people were killed on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007. It was the worst in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999. Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, opened fire at the school in the Denver suburb of Littleton, about 15 miles west of Aurora, killing 12 classmates and a teacher and wounding 26 others before killing themselves in the school's library.

The shooting occurred in Theater 9, which has a capacity of around 300 people, according to CBS station KCNC in Denver. The youngest reported victim is a 3-month-old, who is said to be doing fine at University Hospital, where 20 patients, including nine in critical condition, are being treated. Another victim is a six-year-old being treated at Children's Hospital, where a total of six victims were taken. Their condition wasn't known. Victims were rushed to six area hospitals overall.

Aurora police spokesman Frank Fania on ABC's "Good Morning America" said he didn't know yet if all the injuries were gunshot wounds. He said some might have been caused by other things such as shrapnel.

Police had earlier reported 14 deaths, but later said that only 12 fatalities were confirmed, KCNC reported.

An amateur video posted to Youtube (scroll down to see) showed people walking around outside the theater, allegedly in the moments after the incident. One man was seen wearing a shirt that appeared to be bloodstained. He was being led by a police officer. Some people could be heard shouting.

William Kent, who was in an adjacent theater, said bullets came through the wall but with the action on screen, people didn't realize what was happening.

"And they started the fire alarm or the emergency alarm, said that there had been something that happened in the building and evacuated everybody. There was a huge commotion to get out of the theater. When I exited, there were police officers with assault rifles running in," Kent told CBS News.

Benjamin Fernandez, who was also in an adjacent theater, said he saw a young girl, around 12 or 13 years old, laying on the concrete when he exited the building.

"From what I saw, she had two bullet wounds in her leg and just blood all over her stomach. Her friends were all just yelling, crying. ... We were just all pretty much in shock," he said on "CBS This Morning."

Witness Hayden Miller told KUSA-TV that he was inside Theater 16 and heard several shots.

"Like little explosions going on and shortly after that we heard people screaming," he told the station.

Hayden said at first he thought it was part of a louder movie next door. But then he saw "people hunched over leaving theater."

Paul Otermat, who told Sky News he was in the theater when the incident occurred, said he "thought it was a publicity stunt," when he saw a man in a long coat walk in and hurl what he believed was a tear gas canister at the crowd.

"Then he started firing shots into the crowd," Otermat said. He says he and his girlfriend ducked to the floor and crept out as gunfire continued. "My girlfriend saw a canister on the ground that was still foaming ... We ran through the lobby and we heard more shots, and we ran out into the parking lot and got into our car and left."

The police said 10 victims died at the theater and two at area hospitals.

Aurora is located on the southeast outskirts of Denver, about 10 miles from downtown.

President Barack Obama said in a statement that he and first lady Michelle Obama were "shocked and saddened" by the "horrific and tragic" shooting. Obama said his administration would do everything they can to support the people of Aurora.

"As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors," Obama said.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in a statement that he and his wife, Ann, were "deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence" that led to the loss of life and injuries. He said they were praying for the families and loved ones of the victims "during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice."

The suspect apprehended in the mass shooting at a suburban Denver movie theater has been identified as James Holmes, 24, law enforcement sources told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

Twelve people died in the shooting at a showing of the new Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., early Friday morning. A law enforcement source told Orr the shooting appears to have been carried out by a lone gunman.

There was also no immediate word of any motive. Federal law enforcement officials are being briefed on the attack, but at this point there is no indication it is terrorism-related, CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports.

A law enforcement source told Orr that Holmes' residence was "booby-trapped," and that police saw what looked like "buckets of extra ammunition" and some kind of chemical inside his home.

The suspect spoke of "possible explosives in his residence. We are dealing with that potential threat," Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates told reporters at a news conference.

Police were at the Denver-area apartment and had evacuated other residents of the building. Oates did not say whether any explosives had been found. He said police also checked for explosives in the parking lot and theater and had secured those areas.

Police recovered four guns at the theater, including two pistols, a shotgun and what is believed to be an assault rifle, Orr reports. Authorities also recovered a gas mask.

A heavily armed gunman tossed tear gas into an Aurora, Colorado move theater, then sprayed the audience with gunfire during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, authorities said. Twelve people died and 50 were wounded.

One of the wounded victims was just 3 months old, according to hospital workers.

Police arrested a man believed to be the shooter in a rear parking lot of the theater, Frank Fania, a police spokesman, told CNN. The suspect was not immediately identified, though Fania said he was believed to be in his early 20s.

"He did not resist. He did not put up a fight," Fania said. Police seized a rifle and a handgun from the suspect, and another gun was found in the theater, he said.

Oates said there was no evidence of a second gunman, and FBI spokesman Jason Pack said it did not appear the incident was related to terrorism.

President Barack Obama issued a statement saying he and first lady Michelle Obama were "shocked and saddened" by the shooting and pledged the administration's support for victims of the shooting.

"As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family," it said.

Chaos broke out during the showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" at the Century Aurora 16 theater when the shooting began, police and witnesses said.

Witnesses told KUSA that the gunman kicked in an emergency exit door and threw a smoke bomb into the darkened theater before opening fire. A federal law enforcement official told CNN the smoke bomb described by witnesses was tear gas.

One movie-goer, who was not identified, told KUSA the gunman was wearing a gas mask.

Some people in the audience thought the thick smoke and gunfire was a special effect accompanying the movie, police and witnesses said.

"We just heard a pop, pop, pop, pop," said Quentin Caldwell, who was attending the Batman showing in an adjacent theater.

Cell phone video taken by someone at the theater showed scores of people screaming and fleeing the building. Some had blood on their clothes.

One police officer carried a girl believed to be about 9 with gunshot wounds to her back out of the theater, a witness said. "She wasn't moving."

Authorities also have evacuated the suspect's Aurora apartment building after "he made a statement about explosives" in his unit, Oates said.

The shooter used at least four guns -- an "AK type" rifle, a shotgun and two handguns, the federal law enforcement official told CNN.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents have searched the suspect's car and went to his home to search for explosives, agency spokesman Tom Mangan said. They also are conducting emergency traces on the weapons used to see how they were obtained, he said.

Police initially said 14 people had died, 10 in the theater and four at area hospitals, but revised the death toll to 12 later Friday morning, according to Lanigan.

Several people remained in critical condition at area hospitals, however.

Of the wounded, at least 20 were being treated at the University of Colorado Hospital, said spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery. All of the wounded suffered from gunshot wounds, which ranged from minor to critical, she said.

"They're arriving by police, by ambulance. Some are walking in," she said.

The victims being treated there ranged in age from 3 months to 45, the hospital said.

Denver Health Center had six patients from the shooting, one of them in critical condition, five in fair, said Shelly Davis, house supervisor.

Swedish Health Center spokeswoman Nicole Williams said her hospital was treating three people, two of them in critical and one in fair condition. A fourth patient was on the way, she said.

Parker Adventist Hospital was treating two people for minor injuries, according to a spokeswoman.

Hundreds of police officers descended on the theater, and the FBI has joined the investigation.

"We were calling for help from every police and fire agency," Fania said.

Aurora, a Denver suburb, is about 13 miles from Littleton, Colorado -- site of the April 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

In that incident, two teenage students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, armed themselves with guns and bombs and opened fire inside the high school. They killed 13 people and wounding 23 others before killing themselves.

Are you there? Share your story with us on CNN iReport.

CNN's Ed Payne, Joe Sterling, Tina Burnside and Jim Spellman contributed to this repo