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Shooting at Tennessee movie theater leaves suspect dead Shooting at Tennessee movie theater leaves suspect dead
(35 minutes later)
Police say a man who entered a movie theater in Antioch, Tennessee, armed with a gun, hatchet and pepper spray is dead after he exchanged fire with police, following what appears to be an attempted attack on moviegoers during a showing of Mad Max. Police say a man who entered a movie theater in Antioch, Tennessee, armed with a gun, hatchet and pepper spray is dead after he exchanged fire with police, following what appears to be an attempted attack on moviegoers during a showing of Mad Max: Fury Road.
One person sustained a superficial hatchet injury and three people were pepper sprayed in the attack, according to a fire department spokesperson. It does not appear anyone other than the gunman was shot in the attack. One person sustained a superficial hatchet injury and three people were pepper sprayed in the attack, according to a fire department spokesperson. It does not appear anyone other than the gunman was shot in the attack, and fire department officials say they believe all victims have been treated and released.
Active shooter situation @ Hickory 8 Theater -- suspect deadActive shooter situation @ Hickory 8 Theater -- suspect dead
“At this point there is a report that one person may have suffered a wound from the hatchet. That’s still being sorted out by the fire department now,” a police spokesman said.
Local television station WSMV reported that there are witness reports of one girl found near the scene with blood on her hands and hair. The Guardian has not independently confirmed that report.
The attempted shooting took place at the Carmike Hickory 8 theater in a southeastern suburb of Nashville, where a large police presence remained about an hour later. The attack comes just weeks after a gunman in Lafayette, Louisiana, killed two in a movie theater shooting, and as the gunman who killed 12 and injured 70 in a movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, is being sentenced.The attempted shooting took place at the Carmike Hickory 8 theater in a southeastern suburb of Nashville, where a large police presence remained about an hour later. The attack comes just weeks after a gunman in Lafayette, Louisiana, killed two in a movie theater shooting, and as the gunman who killed 12 and injured 70 in a movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, is being sentenced.
Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that police received reports of an active shooter at about 1.15pm CT. An officer from the Metropolitan Nashville police was the first to respond, entered the theater and began clearing it from the projection room down.The officer encountered the gunman and the two exchanged fire according to Aaron. Swat officers then engaged the gunman, Aaron said (it’s unclear whether the officer left the theater before this took place).A short time later, officers outside the theater heard gunfire and found the alleged attacker dead inside.The attacker’s name and the type of firearm he may have been carrying have not been released, nor have the names of any alleged victims.A bomb squad was still investigating two backpacks the attacker allegedly brought with him to the movie theater, as of 2.30pm CT. Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that police received reports of an active shooter at 1.13pm CT. At that point, police said two people had also run out of the theater and flagged down two officers working a car crash scene nearby.
One of the two officers entered the theater complex and began clearing it from the projection room down. When the gunman saw the responding officer inside the theater, he shot at the officer, who returned fire. At the same time, a sergeant was responding to reports that were called into police.
Aaron said that the gunman was believed to be wearing a surgical mask and a backpack on his chest when he attacked inside the cinema. He unleashed large amounts of what is believed to be pepper spray into the theater. The “chemical spray” was so thick that responding officers had to go back outside to get gasmasks.
Aaron said two women “were blasted w/ pepper spray” in the face during the attack.
Swat officers then engaged the gunman, Aaron said. Aaron said the gunman was shot and killed outside the back of the theater. The attacker’s name and the type of firearm he may have been carrying have not been released, nor have the names of any alleged victims.
Police believe the attacker may be a white, 51-year-old local man, but said they are still working to confirm his identity. A bomb squad was still investigating two backpacks the attacker allegedly brought with him to the movie theater, as of 2.30pm CT.