Three Dead in Louisiana Movie Theater Shooting, Including Gunman
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — The latest on the shooting at a Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater (times are local):
8:10 a.m. - The two victims who were killed when a gunman opened fire in a Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater have been identified as 33-year-old Jillian Johnson and 21-year-old Mayci Breaux.
The gunman, who authorities identified as 59-year-old John Russel Houser, killed himself after trying to flee the scene.
Nine others were wounded in the Thursday night shooting that happened during a showing of the comedy "Trainwreck."
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7:20 a.m.
Authorities are describing the gunman in the movie theater shooting as a 59-year-old man who previously lived in Alabama but is "kind of a drifter" who had been in the Lafayette area since early July.
Police said Friday that the gunman fired a handgun 13 times inside the theater, killing two people and wounding at least nine others before fatally shooting himself.
Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said the gunman parked his car near the theater's exit door and was intent on escaping, but couldn't because police arrived so quickly.
Authorities have not determined a motive. They searched a motel room he had been staying in and found wigs and other disguises.
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5:15 a.m.
About a dozen law enforcement personnel were gathered at a Motel 6 in Lafayette early Friday as authorities investigate a shooting at movie theater that killed three people, including the gunman.
Louisiana State Police spokesman Maj. Doug Cain said the theater investigation led them to a room at the Motel 6. Cain said authorities were investigating whether the shooter had stayed there. He said the bomb squad swept the room before going in as a precaution.
About a dozen police personnel could be seen outside the motel. At one point, an officer carried out a cardboard box from the room and other officers could be seen knocking on neighboring doors.
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3:50 a.m. - The White House says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the shooting at a Louisiana movie theater that left three people dead, including the gunman.
Obama was briefed aboard Air Force One on Thursday by Lisa Monaco, his homeland security adviser, while on his way to Africa for a two-nation visit.
Obama asked his team to keep him updated on the investigation and the status of those wounded in the shooting.
He also offered his thoughts and prayers to the community of Lafayette, Louisiana, where the movie theater is located, and to the families of those who were killed.
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3:30 a.m.
Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft told reporters that nine people in total were wounded in the shooting.
He said at least one of those was in critical condition and being operated on at an area hospital.
"At this point we have three dead, nine wounded and of the three dead one is definitely the shooter," he said.
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2:30 a.m.
Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft told reporters that based on the investigation so far, they believe the shooter stood up in the theater, started shooting, and then as people started fleeing, he began to leave as well.
But, investigators believe, he spotted two police officers, who had been out in the parking lot when the shooting happened. The shooter then turned around against the crowd before firing a single shot.
"It looks like he spotted the officers coming in and he turned around and he went against the crowd, and he fired a single gunshot," he said. "He was seated in the theater just like everybody else."
"The information we have at this time indicates that he was by himself, sat by himself and the first two people he shot were sitting right in front of him," Craft said.
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1:10 a.m.
Police say they are checking out suspicious packages inside the Lafayette movie theater where a gunman opened fire Thursday.
Sgt. Brooks David of the Louisiana State Police said a dog alerted to a backpack and other small items in the theater.
Three people were killed, including the gunman, and seven injured in the shooting.
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12:15 a.m.
Police said bodies were still inside a Lafayette movie theater after a shooting Thursday night.
"The shooter is still in there, at least one other person," Col. Michael D. Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police told reporters at a news conference.
Police say a 58-year-old white man fatally shot two and injured seven before turning the gun on himself.
Edmondson said police and state authorities will work to figure out what brought the shooter to the theater.
"Why did he go in there by himself? Why did he go in the theater, and why did he decide to pull a weapon out and to harm individuals and actually kill two individuals?" he said.
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11:45 p.m.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal praised two teachers as heroes for their actions at a Lafayette movie theater when shooting began.
He said one teacher jumped in front of the other, saving her life. The second teacher then managed to pull a fire alarm, he said.
Police say a "lone white male" was responsible for the attack that left three dead, including himself, and seven injured.
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11:30 p.m.
Officials say they have identified the Lafayette movie theater shooting suspect's car.
Police said at a news conference Thursday that the area was evacuated after suspicious items were spotted in the car and a bomb squad is on the scene.
Col. Mike Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police says people on the scene will likely be hearing the sound of the car's window and trunk being exploded.
Three people were killed, including the gunman, and seven injured in the shooting.
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10:45 p.m.
The star of the movie showing at the time of a shooting that left three dead and seven injured at a Lafayette theater has tweeted her support for the community.
"My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana," comedian Amy Schumer posted Thursday night.
According to police, about 100 people were in the theater for a screening of "Trainwreck" when a 58-year-old white man started shooting. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot.
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10:30 p.m.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called for prayers for the families of the movie theater shooting victims.
Three were killed, including the gunman, and seven injured in the shooting Thursday.
"This is an awful night for Lafayette. This is an awful night for Louisiana. This is an awful night for the United States. But we will get through this," Jindal said at a news conference Thursday night.
He said he'll be meeting with the families of the victims.
U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, a Republican from Lafayette, echoed the governor's sentiment and said he is "saddened at the terrible loss of life."
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10:15 p.m.
Lafayette police Chief Jim Craft says the death toll in the movie theater shooting has increased to three.
Craft said at a news conference that seven victims were wounded and their injuries ranged from not life-threatening to critical.
Authorities have not released the identity of the gunman but say the 58-year-old white man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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10 p.m.
Lafayette police say they know the identity of the gunman in a movie theater shooting but are not releasing it at this point.
Police say the 58-year-old white man died of a self-inflicted gunshot. At least two people were killed in the Thursday night shooting.
They also said they closed other theaters in the area out of precaution.
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9:30 p.m.
An ambulance official is now saying that nine people were brought to the hospital after a shooting at a movie theater Thursday night.
Acadian Ambulance Vice President of Operations Clay Henry had initially said eight people were brought to the hospital after the shooting at the Grand Theatre.
Henry said two people, including the gunman, were pronounced dead on arrival.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal tweeted that he was on his way to Lafayette. "Please say a prayer for the victims at the Grand Theatre and their families," he posted.
Original Story:
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — An official with an ambulance service in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana, says that a shooting at a movie theater has left two people dead, including the gunman.
Clay Henry is vice president of operations for Acadian Ambulance. He told The Associated Press that 10 people all together were shot and eight were brought to the hospital. He said the gunman and one other person were pronounced dead on arrival. Henry said emergency workers got the call to go to the theater about 7:30 p.m.
City Marshal Brian Pope was quoted by The Daily Advertiser as also saying the gunman was dead. Pope said six people were injured.
(Story by: The Associated Press)
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