AURORA, Colo. — Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes reportedly dyed his hair red and told police he was “The Joker” following his shooting rampage early Friday morning.
According to CNN, citing federal law enforcement sources, Holmes told police he was the villainous “Batman” character after he was taken into custody following the shooting at a midnight showing of the latest installment in the Batman movie franchise – “The Dark Knight Rises” – early Friday morning at the Century 16 Movie Theatres in Aurora.
At least 12 people are dead and 58 people were injured in the shooting. According to authorities, 10 of the victims were killed inside the theater, while two others died at local hospitals.
By Friday evening, authorities said that they had removed the last of the bodies from the theater, and were now informing the families of the victims.
Holmes, 24, was taken into custody without incident in the parking lot of the theater in suburban Denver.
At the time of his arrest, police said Holmes was wearing a riot helmet and bullet proof vest. Police said he was also carrying a gas mask, tear gas and three guns — an AR-15 assault rifle, a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun and a 40-caliber Glock handgun, with another 40-caliber Glock handgun in his car.
According to authorities, the the guns were purchased legally by Holmes at Denver-area stores over the past two months. In addition, Holmes purchased more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition online.
Related: 12 Dead in Shooting at “The Dark Knight Rises” Movie Screening
According to Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, Holmes’s apartment was booby-trapped with trip wire, incendiary and chemical devices, and authorities have evacuated that building and five adjacent buildings.
Related: Police Chief: Dark Knight Gunman’s Apartment is Booby-Trapped
Oates says that Holmes did not have any criminal record with the exception of a speeding ticket in 2011.
Oates says that police don’t know how many shots were fired in the incident except to say “many, many shots were fired.” Oates also says that several rounds actually penetrated the walls of the theater into adjoining theaters, and at least one person was struck by a bullet in an adjoining theater.
FOX 31 in Denver reports that police say that officers were on the scene of the shooting within 90 seconds of the first call, and apprehended Holmes at that point. Oates says that Aurora Police often station off-duty officers at the theater, but there were none on duty last night.
Holmes is scheduled to appear in an Arapahoe County court on Monday, court officials said. Court records relating to the case have been sealed by court order.
The FBI is assisting with the local investigation, but officials with the bureau told CNN that it did not appear that the incident was related in any way to terrorism.