(CBS News) A law enforcement source told CBS News that within the hour bomb technicians will be moving in to clear out the apartment of the shooting suspect which police say has been rigged with explosive devices.
Initially they will be remotely removing the trip wire to the booby trap by remotely detonating the device. Once safe, they will move in remotely to detonate the improvised devices, to render the apartment safe.
Investigators believe there are some 30 aerial shells (or fireworks) the size of softballs, black in color and made of mostly rubber. They are believed to be filled with smokeless powder. Depending on how the powder was packed, the devices could either detonate or just burn.
Rendering the apartment safe for entry is an enormously dangerous mission. About 100 personnel are on the scene, including firefighters, ATF and FBI bomb technicians, and chemists to assess the risks of potential accelerants seen inside.
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Safety, not time, will dictate the mission, the source said.
Police say the apartment was rigged to detonate on a presumed police entry when the suspect set up a loud music to be playing, while he was on his way to the movie theater. First responders would then be sent to the apartment, on the opposite side of town where the gunman planned to wage his assault.
Having evacuated the apartment complex, police this morning were seen towing vehicles away to clear the immediate area.
If the devices can be safely removed, they will be put into dump trucks filled with sand and transported to a remote area where they will be countercharged or burned.
