On July 23, 2015, a mass shooting occurred at the Grand 16 movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States.
[3] John Russell Houser (1955-2015),[4][5] 59, opened fire during a showing of the film Trainwreck, killing two people and injuring nine others before committing suicide.
Shortly before 7:30 p.m., Houser stood up, pulled out the handgun from his pants, and started shooting indiscriminately while walking down the steps.
[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 before committing suicide.
Upon entering the theater, two-and-a-half minutes after arrival,[24] they found Houser dead; he had fatally shot himself in the mouth.
[28] 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.
[31] Egedahl, who had been shot seven times, was the last victim discharged, and left Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center on August 14.
[14] On late Thursday night, the police investigated Houser's car, a blue 1995 Lincoln Continental, and found two suspicious objects with wires inside.
[35] 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.
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.
[37] John Russell Houser (November 22, 1955 – July 23, 2015) had a history of anti-government and far-right views, including those on race, gender, and the future of the U.S.[42][43] The perpetrator, who had been estranged from his family, was described as a wayfarer and a drifter.
[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.
[48] 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.
[10][49][50] 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.
[54] An investigation by the SPLC into the shooter's social media posts revealed that he was a supporter of the Greek far-right political party Golden Dawn, former Klansman David Duke, the Westboro Baptist Church, antisemitism, the aforementioned Adolf Hitler and Timothy McVeigh as well as asking on an online forum where he could join white power groups.
[56][57] 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.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, a cousin of her father's, in calling for stricter gun control and increased mental health funding.