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Investigator Details Collection Of Shotgun, Spent Shells On Theater Floor

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4)- Jurors in the theater shooting trial are getting a first-hand look at all the weapons and spent shell casings found on the floor of the Aurora theater after the deadly attack.

Dozens of picture of evidence found inside the theater were shown on screen during testimony on day 11 of the trial.

Before jurors heard about the recovery of evidence from the theater, the day began with the revelation that the gunman, James Holmes, bought explosive chemicals from a science store near downtown Denver just one week before the shooting.

Nicholas Carroll
Aurora Police Crime Scene Investigator Nicholas Carroll points out where evidence was found (credit: CBS)

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Aurora Police Crime Scene Investigator Nicholas Carroll testified about what he found on the floor of the theater.

"The first area of evidence I would have collected would have been here," said Carroll.

Carroll described what he found during his testimony, a shotgun was found on the floor, just one of several firearms used in the attack. Spent shells were scattered throughout the theater, marked by placards, along with high-capacity magazines.

RELATED STORIES: Aurora Movie Shooting Story Archive

Survivor Carey Rottman testified about his experience inside the theater during the shooting.

"Some people were getting up and trying to get out of there, some trying to duck down, at that point other people were hit and crying and screaming," said Rottman.

Pierce O'Farrill
Pierce O'Farrill (credit: CBS)

He was with a friend, Pierce O'Farrill, who suffered serious injuries.

"We're just down on the ground, at that point I asked Pierce, 'What do we do?' At that point, he just said, he just said, 'Pray.' I could hear Pierce praying," said Rottman.

Another survivor, Corbin Bates, said he ended up in the second row with a friend and they spotted a strange looking man.

"They definitely had a helmet on, goggles; the only thing that I could see that was not covered up was their eyes," Bates said.

He saw a shotgun, a rifle, and then says there was gas released and gunfire.

"I started hearing people screaming for their lives," Bates said. "At the time I was processing in my mind if it was real."

He said a bullet casing burned him on the leg. Bates and his female friend ducked for cover then ran.

"I saw people; I did not want to see them if they were alive or if they were already gone. But I did see them lying over the chairs and I saw some there on the stairs and … (cries)."

Jurors last week saw and held the two other guns Holmes used in the July 2012 shooting that left 12 people dead and 70 others injured. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

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