2015 Lafayette shooting

2015 Lafayette shooting
Location 3141 Johnston Street, Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Coordinates 30°12′07″N 92°02′45″W / 30.20199°N 92.04584°W / 30.20199; -92.04584Coordinates: 30°12′07″N 92°02′45″W / 30.20199°N 92.04584°W / 30.20199; -92.04584
Date July 23, 2015 (2015-07-23)
7:27 p.m. (CDT)
Attack type
 Mass shooting, murder–suicide
Weapons Hi-Point .40-caliber handgun[1]
Deaths 3 (including the perpetrator)[2]
Non-fatal injuries
 9[2]
Perpetrator John Russell Houser
Motive Under investigation

On July 23, 2015, a shooting occurred at the Grand 16 movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana.[3] John Russell Houser, age 59,[4][5] opened fire during a showing of the film Trainwreck, killing two people and injuring nine others before committing suicide.[6][7][8][9]

Shooting

The shooting occurred in theater 14[10] during the 7:10 p.m. screening of Trainwreck, held at the Grand 16 movie theater in Lafayette, just 60 miles (97 km) west of Baton Rouge.[2] Houser, 59, went to the theater alone, bought a ticket ten minutes late into the movie,[11] and sat for several minutes in the theater's second-to-last row. Including Houser,[12] there were 25 people in the theater and 300 people in the building.[13][14][15] Houser was armed with a Hi-Point .40-caliber handgun[1] and equipped with two 10-round magazines. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., he stood up, pulled out the handgun from his pants, and started shooting indiscriminately while walking down the steps. Houser fired at least 13 rounds and reloaded once. He killed two people and injured nine others.[16][17][18][19]

The first two people he shot were sitting right in front of him.[13] The shooting was contained to one theater.[20] After the shooting ended, Houser exited the theater through a side door and apparently tried to head for his vehicle while blending in with survivors. However, upon noticing police sirens, he retreated back inside the building and fired three more shots at fleeing moviegoers. Then, he committed suicide.[12][19][21][22][23]

Prior to the shooting, two police officers were already on duty at the 16-screen multiplex. Four other officers responded to the scene in less than a minute after receiving a 7:28 p.m. report of the shooting. After witnessing audiences fleeing and hearing gunshots, they made their way into the auditorium. Upon entering the theater, two-and-a-half minutes after arrival,[24] they found Houser dead; he had fired a bullet into his mouth.[13][25][26] His body remained inside the theater for several hours.[27] After the shooting, it was discovered that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.1, while the legal limit to drive is 0.08.[28]

Aftermath

Following the shooting, the other local Grand Theatre was also closed, while the entire area was locked down[18][29] as law enforcement officials searched for additional shooters.[24] The Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Lafayette Parish Sheriff, and Lafayette Police Department police participated in the investigation. Police believe the shooter acted alone, but have not confirmed a motive.[18][29][30][31]

Upon investigation, officials found that Houser had been staying in a nearby motel, a Motel 6, and discovered wigs, glasses, and disguises.[32] This led officials to believe that he intended on escaping before being cornered by police, leading to his suicide.[33] Furthermore, he illegally switched his license plates near an exit door to the theater, and in his motel room.[13]

On late Thursday night, the police investigated Houser's car, a blue 1995 Lincoln Continental, and found two suspicious objects with wires inside. Fearing that the items might be an explosive, the police halted the investigation. On the morning of July 24, they called the bomb squad, who blew up its windows and trunk. Similarly, investigators found three objects in the theater that they feared could be explosives and had them examined with a robot. An apartment complex behind the theater was evacuated as a precaution. The objects in the theater and in the car all turned out not to be dangerous.[13][24] A search of the car later turned up more disguises.[32]

Investigators recovered a 39-page journal belonging to Houser, which contained the name of the theater and the time and date of the screening of Trainwreck, along with random notes and observations.[32][34] However, the journal did not provide a clear motive behind the shooting.[16] Investigators were also studying posts he made online to determine a motive for the shooting.[12] They finished processing the crime scene at the theater on July 27.[35]

Questions were raised about how Houser was able to obtain the gun used in the shooting. It was initially reported that he had been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment in 2008, which would have legally prohibited him from purchasing firearms. However, it was later determined that he was able to purchase the gun because a judge never committed him and instead had him undergo a mental health evaluation. Once the evaluation was done, medical authorities either had to release him, convince him to commit himself voluntarily for treatment, or petition a court to force him to undergo treatment. They never petitioned the court, but it was unclear if Houser was released or voluntarily committed. His 2008 evaluation was never officially reported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.[36][37]

The Grand 16 theater was shut down after the shooting. It reopened four months later on November 19, after a ceremony honoring the victims.[38]

On January 13, 2016, police released a 589-page report of the shooting and photos of Houser's motel room.[34]

Perpetrator

John Houser
Born John Russell Houser
(1955-11-22)November 22, 1955
Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
Died July 23, 2015(2015-07-23) (aged 59)
Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Cause of death Suicide by gunshot wound to the mouth
Residence Phenix City, Alabama (last known)
Nationality American
Other names Rusty
Education Faulkner University
Occupation Former bar owner
Known for Perpetrator of the 2015 Lafayette shooting
Children 1

John Russell "Rusty" Houser[15] (November 22, 1955 – July 23, 2015)[39] had a history of anti-government and far-right views,[40] including those on race, gender, and the future of the U.S.[41]

Personal life

Houser, who had been estranged from his family, was described as a wayfarer and a drifter.[42] According to law enforcement, he was raised in Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from Columbus High School and Columbus Technical College. According to an online LinkedIn account belonging to him, he also attended Columbus State University and Faulkner University.[19] Houser owned a number of bars in Georgia.[12] He once attended law school but dropped out.[19] His last recorded residence was in Phenix City, Alabama, where he purchased his firearm at the Money Miser Northside Pawn shop in February 2014.[19][37][43] In 2006, Houser tried to get a concealed carry permit, but he was denied it due to his arson arrest and domestic violence complaint.[21][44]

Mental health problems

Houser was said to have mental health issues,[45] for which he was treated in 2008 and 2009.[21] In 2008, Houser underwent a mental health evaluation.[37] According to his wife, he suffered from bipolar disorder.[12]

Houser had some previous arrest and complaint records including arson, domestic violence, stalking, and selling alcohol to a minor, although these records were at least a decade old. In 2008, his wife and daughter, along with his daughter's then-fiancé and his parents, issued a protective order against him during his mental health evaluation.[37] The order cited his violent and erratic behavior and reasoned that he had tried to stop his daughter and her fiancé from marrying. Houser's wife also hid his guns away from him for protection. After the order was issued, his family members apparently ceased contact with him.[36][44]

In 2014, when Houser was faced with the threat of eviction from his home in Alabama, he booby-trapped the house by twisting out and igniting the gas starter tube in the fireplace, after removing the logs, in an attempt to make the house catch on fire.[46] In March 2015, a week after his wife filed for divorce, Houser called her and threatened her, then went to a retirement community where his mother lived. There, he threatened to commit suicide outside if she didn't give him money. The mother called Houser's wife and was urged by her to have him hospitalized again. Instead, she gave Houser $5,000.[15][47][48]

Prior to the shooting

Houser is said to have entered Louisiana around July 2 or 3 and spent his time exploring the state along Interstate 10, apparently searching for a location to attack.[23][49] During the week of July 13, Houser visited a food bank in Lake Charles twice and requested aid from them.[50] He had been at the Grand 16 theater at least once before,[19] and had also visited several other movie theaters in the state.[51] According to witnesses at one theater, Houser was dressed up to look like a woman and was behaving erratically.[49] Houser also appeared to have made some getaway plans.[19][43]

Houser's only known connection to Lafayette was an uncle who once lived there, but died in 1980.[1][13] It was believed by investigators that he was traveling to Texas and Lafayette was simply a stopping point.[16]

On July 27, The Hollywood Reporter reported that investigators believed Houser chose to commit the shooting in a theater playing Trainwreck due to its feminist themes and characters, as well as its lead actor's Jewish background. Houser was said to have been a misogynist and praised the actions of Adolf Hitler on online message boards.[52]

Victims

Two women were killed by Houser in the shooting. One died at the scene, while the other died at a nearby hospital.[27] They are:[15][20][26][53]

The injuries of the survivors ranged from light to critical and were inflicted either from gunshots and/or during accidents while fleeing. The victims' ages ranged from the late teens to their 60s.[20] Among the injuries were two women who were friends and employees at a local high school. One of them, a librarian, jumped on top of the second woman, a schoolteacher, to save her life and was shot through the leg. Both women were ultimately shot, but the woman who was jumped on was able to stand up and pull the fire alarm.[54] Also injured were the cousin of Louisiana Representative Charles Boustany and her husband.[55] Egedahl, the last victim discharged, left Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center on August 14.[53] One victim was shot four times.[1]

Responses to the shooting

Political response

Theater and film response

Amy Schumer, who wrote and starred in the film being shown as the shooting occurred, posted on her Twitter account, "My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana."[60] She later joined U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, a cousin of her father's, in calling for stricter gun control and increased mental health funding.[61][62] Schumer expanded on the shooting and her views on gun control in her best-selling book The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, where she talked about the two murder victims at length; she referred to the gunman's vile personal views and sickness and did not write his name.

Universal Studios, the film's distributor, also released a statement, saying, "All of us at Universal Pictures send our heartfelt sympathies to the victims of this senseless tragedy and their families in Louisiana."[63]

The theater and its parent company, the Southern Theatres, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Security was increased at the other Grand movie theater in Kenner, Louisiana, and at the Esplanade Mall in Kenner.[17][64] They later issued a statement, in which they said, "All of us offer our thoughts and prayers to the victims and the community of Lafayette. We are grateful to all local officials and to the governor for their efforts."[63]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Faith Karimi; Ralph Ellis (July 25, 2015). "Lafayette theater shooter switched license plates, had wigs waiting in hotel". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Saeed Ahmed (July 14, 2015). "Gunman kills 2, then himself in Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater". CNN. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ Sarah Kaplan (July 23, 2015). "Gunman opens fire on La. movie theater, injuring several before killing himself". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Louisiana cinema shooting: Lafayette gunman 'had violent past'". BBC News. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Lafayette, Louisiana, Movie Theater Gunman ID'd as John Russell Houser, 59, of Alabama". ABC News. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Wife filed 2008 protective order on theater gunman". MSN. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Today: Deadly Rampage in Louisiana Theater.". The Los Angeles Times. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Two dead in cinema shooting as Obama says he was stymied on gun control". The Telegraph. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Gunman goes on rampage in US cinema". The Times. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Chilling Surveillance Video Shows Lafayette Gunman in Theater Before Shooting". NBC News. July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  11. ↑ Lanie Lee Cook (July 31, 2015). "Videos and 911 tapes offer chilling glimpse into Lafayette shooting". The Advocate. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rebecca Santana; Cain Burdeau (July 25, 2015). "Lafayette movie theater shooting survivor: "You needed a second to think, 'OK, this is real'"". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leslie Turk; Richard Pérez-Peña; Liam Stack (July 24, 2015). "Lafayette, Louisiana, Gunman Identified as 'Drifter'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Three Dead After Shooting at 'Trainwreck' Screening in Louisiana". The Hollywood Reporter. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Ralph Ellis; Greg Botelho (July 25, 2015). "Lafayette theater shooter bought gun legally, police say". CNN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Michael Kunzelman; Rebecca Santana (January 14, 2016). "No clear motive seen in Louisiana theater shooter's journal". WAVY-TV. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  17. 1 2 "3 Dead, 7 Injured in Lafayette Louisiana Theater Shooting, Police Say". ABC News. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Ed Payne (July 23, 2015). "3 dead, 7 hurt when gunman opens fire in Louisiana movie theater". CNN. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Lafayette gunman cased theater prior to rampage, but motive remains unknown". Yahoo! News. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 Emily Sharipo; Tom Liddy (July 24, 2015). "Louisiana Theater Gunman ID'd as John Russel Houser". ABC News. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 "Man described as a drifter kills 2, himself in Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater". CNN. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  22. ↑ "3 dead and more wounded as police describe theatre shooting scene as "horrific"". The Star. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  23. 1 2 "'It's time to let these folks grieve'". The Advertiser. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  24. 1 2 3 Lanie Lee Cook; Billy Gunn (August 5, 2015). "Lafayette theater shooting tested training, reactions of police, medics and hospital workers". The Advocate. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  25. ↑ Lanie Lee Cook (July 29, 2015). "As investigation winds down on the Grand 16 Theatre mass shooting, Lafayette police turn attention to other shootings". The Advocate. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  26. 1 2 Amber Stegall (July 29, 2015). "Autopsy results released for shooter, victims in Lafayette theater shooting". WAFB. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  27. 1 2 Jana Kasperkevic (July 24, 2015). "Lafayette cinema shooting: three dead including lone gunman and nine injured". The Guardian. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  28. ↑ Amber Stegall (January 13, 2016). "Police Report: Lafayette theater shooter praised Charleston church shooter in journal". WTVM. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 "3 dead, including gunman, 7 wounded in Louisiana movie theater shooting". The Chicago Tribune. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  30. ↑ Leslie Turk; Liam Stack (July 23, 2015). "3 Fatally Shot and 7 Injured at Theater in Lafayette, La.". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Three Dead After Shooting at 'Trainwreck' Screening in Louisiana". The Hollywood Reporter. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  32. 1 2 3 "Louisiana Theater Gunman's Journal Found in Motel Room". Yahoo! GMA. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Louisiana Movie Theater Gunman John Houser Was a Drifter, Police Say". ABC News. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Cryptic phrases, 'Trainwreck' mentions, more revealed in Lafayette theater shooter's journal, motel photos". The Advocate. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Lafayette theater shooting: Police finish processing crime scene, return building to owners". The Times-Picayune. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  36. 1 2 "Lafayette shooter able to buy gun because he was never involuntarily committed". The Washington Post. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Meg Wagner (July 28, 2015). "Judge who detained Lafayette movie theater shooter John Houser says she couldn't force him into mental hospital: 'I did my job'". The New York Daily News. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  38. ↑ Kevin Frey (November 19, 2015). "Grand Theatre 16 in Lafayette reopens 4 months after deadly shooting". WMC Action News 5. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  39. ↑ Associated Press (July 25, 2015). "Timeline of theater gunman John Russell Houser's life". "U.S. News". Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  40. ↑ "The pro-Hitler rants of Louisiana theater gunman who idolized Timothy McVeigh and called for lone wolf attacks on the 'failing filth farm' of America". Daily Mail. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Inside the Twisted Mind of John Russell Houser". The Daily Beast. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Lafayette theater shooter ID'd as John Russell Houser, 'kind of a drifter' with few ties to town". The Times-Picayune. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  43. 1 2 Erin Edgemon (July 24, 2015). "Louisiana theater shooter John Russel Houser was angry, bizarre, reclusive, neighbors say". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  44. 1 2 "Lafayette shooter John Houser should have been denied gun: Gov. Jindal". MSNBC. July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Friend: Lafayette theater shooter John Houser had drinking problem, appeared depressed". The Advocate. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  46. ↑ Jay Reeves; Kate Brumback (July 25, 2015). "Theater gunman built reputation as an angry provocateur". Yahoo! News. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Movie theater shooter's mental problems didn't stop gun buy". Yahoo! News. July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  48. ↑ Jason Sickles (July 25, 2015). "Lafayette theater gunman spent weeks before rampage drinking beer at a motel pool". Yahoo! News. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  49. 1 2 "Louisiana town struggles to make sense of movie-theater shooting". The Washington Post. July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  50. ↑ Erika Ferrando (July 24, 2015). "Lafayette shooter reportedly visited Lake Charles food bank". KPLC. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Lafayette Movie Theater Shooter John Houser Should have Been Denied Gun: Gov. Jindal". NBC News. July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Lafayette Shooting: Anti-Feminist John Russell Houser May Have Targeted 'Trainwreck'". The Hollywood Reporter. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  53. 1 2 Heather Nolan (August 14, 2015). "Last Lafayette theater shooting victim released from hospital". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  54. ↑ Christopher Brennan (July 31, 2015). "Hero Lafayette shooting survivor tearfully describes how she took a bullet in the leg for her friend who saved lives by raising the alarm". Daily Mail. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  55. ↑ "Congressman's Cousin Among Those Shot in Louisiana Theater". NBC News. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  56. ↑ "Here's how Bobby Jindal addressed the Lafayette shooting as it unfolded". The Times-Picayune. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  57. ↑ "Gunman shoots 11, kills 2 in Lafayette movie theater". WWL-TV. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  58. ↑ Bruce Alpert (July 24, 2015). "Pray for Lafayette shooting victims and their families, say Louisiana congressional members". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  59. ↑ "Shreveport representative wants metal detectors in theaters". KLFY. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  60. ↑ Tara Fowler (July 24, 2015). "Amy Schumer Says Her 'Heart Is Broken' over Trainwreck Shooting That Left 3 Dead and 9 Wounded". People. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  61. ↑ "Sen. Schumer, comedian Amy Schumer call for more gun control". Yahoo! News Celebrity. August 3, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  62. ↑ Libby Molyneaux (February 3, 2011). "MAKE US LAUGH, FUNNY GIRL! AMY SCHUMER". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  63. 1 2 Maane Khatchatourian (July 24, 2015). "Universal, Louisiana Theater Owner Respond to 'Trainwreck' Shooting, 'Senseless Tragedy'". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  64. ↑ "Kenner police to increase patrols at Grand Theatre after Lafayette shooting". The Advocate. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
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