LAFAYETTE, USA // A lone gunman sitting in a packed movie theatre stood up about 20 minutes into the showing of “Trainwreck” and began firing into the crowd, killing two and wounding at least nine others on Thursday night before fatally shooting himself, authorities said.
The gunman initially tried escaping by blending into the fleeing crowd, but turned back when he saw police heading inside from the car park, authorities said. Officers tailing him back into the theatre then heard a single gunshot and found him dead inside, police said.
They described the shooter as a 58-year-old “lone white male” with a criminal history but did not immediately disclose his name. Lafayette police chief Jim Craft said the gunman was by himself and started the rampage by shooting the two people sitting in front of him.
At least one theatergoer described the attack, saying an older man stood up about 20 minutes into the 7:10pm showing of the movie “Trainwreck” at the Grand 16 theatre in Lafayette and began shooting.
“We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” Katie Domingue told The Advertiser.
“He wasn’t saying anything. I didn’t hear anybody screaming either,” said Ms Domingue, who added that she heard about six shots before she and her fiance ran to the nearest exit, leaving behind her shoes and purse.
Stories of heroism immediately began to emerge with presidential hopeful Gov Bobby Jindal, who travelled to the scene within hours of the shooting, telling reporters that a teacher who was in the theatre jumped in front of a second teacher, saving her life. The second teacher then managed to pull a fire alarm to alert other moviegoers, he said.
“Her friend literally jumped over her and, by her account, actually saved her life,” Mr Jindal said.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting aboard Air Force One by Lisa Monaco, his homeland security adviser, while on his way to Africa for a two-nation visit, the White House said.
Mr Obama asked his team to keep him updated on the investigation and the status of those wounded. He also offered his thoughts and prayers to the community and to the families of those killed.
The shooting took place a week after the man who shot and killed 12 people at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colo., was convicted and on the very day a jury said his attack was cruel enough to consider sentencing him to death.
* Associated Press