Here’s the latest news surrounding Lafayette, Louisiana movie theater shooting.
Three people were killed and seven people were injured after a gunman opened fire at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana Thursday night during a screening of Trainwreck.
According to reports, those injured range in age from teens to early 60s. Police arrived while the shooting was occurring, and police have shut down the other Grand Theatre in town and deployed police to other theaters. Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said he believed the gunman, a 58-year-old whiet male, was sitting in the theater alone when he opened fire with a handgun.
According to the Associated Press, the shooter’s car was identified at the theater and the area was evacuated after a suspicious package was spotted.
The shooter is identified as John Russell Houser.
Houser is from Phoenix City, Alabama, and has no known connection to Lafayette, police said. Houser was described as a drifter by police, who said he had likely been in Lafayette since early July. [ABC News]
Craft said police are not sure if the shooting was planned or orchestrated. Authorities think he acted alone.
Moviegoer Katie Domingue told The Advertiser that the shooting occurred about 20 minutes into Trainwreck.
“We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” she said. She saw an older, white man and said he was the shooter.
“He wasn’t saying anything. I didn’t hear anybody screaming either,” Domingue said.
“Troopers are working closely with the Lafayette Police Department as well as numerous other agencies to provide assistance and investigate the shooting incident at the Grand Theater,” police said in a Facebook post. “Please keep the families of the victims in your thoughts and prayers.”
Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a press conference in Lafayette that,
“Lafayette is a strong community. We will get through this.” Jindal also said that two teachers were shot inside the theater, with one shielding the other from a gunshot wound to the head, and one proceeded to pull the fire alarm. A GoFundMe page has started to raise money for the teachers’ medical records.
The Louisiana State Police released a statement on Facebook around 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening: “Troopers are working closely with the Lafayette Police Department as well as numerous other agencies to provide assistance and investigate the shooting incident at the Grande Theater. Please keep the families of the victims in your thoughts and prayers.”
Trainwreck star Amy Schumer tweeted, “My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana.”
Here are 3 things you should know about the Lafayette Louisiana Shooting.
1. The gunman killed himself after police entered the movie theater.
2. The gunman opened fire during the movie ‘Trainwreck’
3. People who were inside the Theater tweeted about the shooting
Never going to movie theaters again
— Keifer Sanders (@KeiferSanders2) July 24, 2015
We will keep you updated.
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