Police find gunman’s computer

US police have recovered a computer belonging to alleged Batman theatre gunman James Holmes, which could provide vital clues to how he planned the massacre, a senior officer said yesterday.

Aurora police chief Dan Oates also revealed that Mr Holmes could have been mistaken for an arriving SWAT officer, because of his full body armour, but praised his men for spotting him as a suspect.

The computer was found inside his apartment, which officers only got access to late on Saturday after clearing sophisticated booby traps rigged up inside, apparently intended to kill police arriving after the shootings.

“I’m told there was a computer inside the apartment and with the assistance of the FBI that computer will be completely analysed,” Mr Oates told CBS talk show “Face the Nation.”

“That may take some time. So we’re hopeful that will yield some information,” he added.

Mr Holmes was arrested after allegedly opening fire early Friday at a midnight screening of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, in Aurora, Colorado. Twelve people were killed and 58 injured, many of them seriously.

Mr Oates also revealed that, when Mr Holmes was spotted behind the theatre after the shooting, his full body armour could easily have led police to think he was a member of a SWAT team.

“Without going into to too many details, there was one aspect of what he wore that did not fit what a SWAT officer might be wearing,” he said.

“There was one particular piece of equipment that he had on him that was out of place and I am so proud of my officers that they spotted that right away and challenged him.”