Neighbors of accused theater gunman James Eagan Holmes were forced from their homes July 20 after the discovery of booby traps in his apartment, and residents of his building in north Aurora were still unable to return to their homes July 23 as authorities acted to preserve evidence.

Holmes, 24, is suspected of killing 12 people and injuring 58 in a July 20 attack just after midnight July 20 at an Aurora movie theater. Holmes appeared in Arapahoe County District Court Monday to be advised of the charges he will face, which are to be filed by Monday, July 30. By 10 a.m. the morning of the attack, five buildings surrounding his apartment had been evacuated and neighbors in an extended area were told it would be wise to be ready to leave on short notice.

“I’ve lived a long time and I’ve seen a lot of things,” said Cynthia Moran. “But I never thought I’d live to see the day. It’s always something around here. But not this big.”

Moran watched as fire crews extended an aerial ladder above Holmes’ apartment building to peer in with a camera. Investigators had already used a robot to enter his apartment in an effort to de-activate the devices they believed remained inside.

Police have since disarmed the devices and entered the apartment.

“I thought I was dreaming,” Moran said. “Something like this just don’t happen.”

Until the shooting, Holmes’ only previous contact with police was an October 2011 traffic case, said Daniel Oates, Aurora

chief of police.

Holmes is from California and had come to Colorado last year to join the University of Colorado’s graduate program in neuroscience.

He recently left the program.