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| John Russel Houser named as Lafayette shooter who killed two women at Trainwreck screening | John Russel Houser named as Lafayette shooter who killed two women at Trainwreck screening |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The man who shot two people dead after opening fire at a cinema in Louisiana has been named as a “drifter” equipped with a handgun, wigs and disguises. | The man who shot two people dead after opening fire at a cinema in Louisiana has been named as a “drifter” equipped with a handgun, wigs and disguises. |
| Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft named the shooter as John Russel Houser, 59, in a press conference this afternoon outside the cordoned-off Grand 16 theatre. | Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft named the shooter as John Russel Houser, 59, in a press conference this afternoon outside the cordoned-off Grand 16 theatre. |
| “He was kind of a drifter,” Mr Craft said, saying he had been in the area since early July and previously lived in Alabama. | “He was kind of a drifter,” Mr Craft said, saying he had been in the area since early July and previously lived in Alabama. |
| A search of the local motel Houser was staying in uncovered “wigs, glasses and disguises” and his car had a fake number plate. | A search of the local motel Houser was staying in uncovered “wigs, glasses and disguises” and his car had a fake number plate. |
| The fact it was parked outside an exit from the screen where Houser opened fire 20 minutes into a showing of Trainwreck led police to conclude “he was intent on shooting and then escaping”. | The fact it was parked outside an exit from the screen where Houser opened fire 20 minutes into a showing of Trainwreck led police to conclude “he was intent on shooting and then escaping”. |
| Police said Houser tried to mingle in with the crowd and escape during the evacuation but was met by local police. | Police said Houser tried to mingle in with the crowd and escape during the evacuation but was met by local police. |
| Mr Craft added: “The quick law enforcement response forced him back into the theatre, at which time he shot himself.” | Mr Craft added: “The quick law enforcement response forced him back into the theatre, at which time he shot himself.” |
| Searches of the cinema and Houser’s car with explosives teams found no bombs or other devices and the only weapon found was a 40 calibre handgun. | Searches of the cinema and Houser’s car with explosives teams found no bombs or other devices and the only weapon found was a 40 calibre handgun. |
| Colonel Mike Edmonson, from Louisiana State Police, said Houser's motive was still unknown and that the force would not speculate. | Colonel Mike Edmonson, from Louisiana State Police, said Houser's motive was still unknown and that the force would not speculate. |
| At least 13 rounds were fired, killing two women and injuring seven more including one who remains in a critical condition in hospital. | At least 13 rounds were fired, killing two women and injuring seven more including one who remains in a critical condition in hospital. |
| Police and court records show that Houser had been arrested or fined for several offences in the past, ranging from arson to speeding. FBI officials enter a building near the movie theatre where a man opened fire on film goers | |
| The arrests date back at least a decade and include charges of arson and selling alcohol to a minor. | |
| In Alabama, police records listed four speeding tickets and one for not wearing a seatbelt between 1981 and 2003. | |
| Alabama court documents show Houser filed a lawsuit in 2004 claiming he was injured when he donated plasma at a Phoenix City donation centre. He asked for $1,800 to pay his emergency room bill and for a narcotics prescription in the case, which was settled. | |
| The victims have been named as Mayci Breaux, 21, and Jillian Johnson, 33. | The victims have been named as Mayci Breaux, 21, and Jillian Johnson, 33. |
| Footage emerged earlier today showing armed police surrounding the cinema and shouting for help minutes after the shooting. Footage showed an injured man being treated in the car park | |
| Injured people were seen being carried out of the building and treated by paramedics on the ground as shocked cinema-goers gathered in the car park. | Injured people were seen being carried out of the building and treated by paramedics on the ground as shocked cinema-goers gathered in the car park. |
| One witness said she thought the noise of gunshots were firecrackers when they first went off. | One witness said she thought the noise of gunshots were firecrackers when they first went off. |
| “We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” Katie Domingue told the Louisiana Advertiser. | “We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” Katie Domingue told the Louisiana Advertiser. |
| She said she saw “an older white man” standing up and shooting down into the cinema, but not in her direction. | She said she saw “an older white man” standing up and shooting down into the cinema, but not in her direction. |
| “He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either,” she added. | “He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either,” she added. |
| The Grand 16 theatre remains closed and the owners have started a charitable fund to raise money for victims and their families. | The Grand 16 theatre remains closed and the owners have started a charitable fund to raise money for victims and their families. |