Officials have given the most dramatic and detailed account yet of the events that unfolded inside a movie theater in Lafayette, where a gunman opened fire on the audience, killing two women and injuring nine others before turning the gun on himself.
Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal spoke to reporters on Friday evening and recalled his tour of the theater, saying it was evident the gunman had been methodical in his attack.
“This was slow and methodical,” Jindal said. “It was barbaric.”
The Republican governor, who is a candidate for the 2016 presidential nomination, was pressed on whether he should reconsider certain gun-control measures in the wake of the tragedy. He said now was “not the time” to discuss policy.
“We are less than 24 hours out, we’ve got two families that need to bury their loved ones,” Jindal said. “We’ve got families waiting for their loved ones to leave the hospital and are praying for their recovery.”
Mayci Breaux, 21, and Jillian Johnson, 33, both died in the shooting.
Nine other victims were injured in the attack. Five remain in the hospital – one in a critical condition – but police said all are expected to recover. Four victims were treated on Thursday night and have since been released.
Lafayette police chief Jim Craft said the gunman, identified by authorities as John Russell Houser, drove his 1995 blue Lincoln Continental from a local motel to the movie theater at around 7.30pm for a showing of the recently released Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck.
He took a seat near the back of the theater and waited. About 20 minutes into the movie, Houser opened fire on the crowd of 24 people with a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun he had purchased legally at a pawn shop in Phenix City, Alabama.
“As people got up, he got up and methodically worked his way down,” Jindal said. “He took his time, methodically choosing his victims. One of the surviving wounded victims actually played dead to stay alive.”
One victim managed to pull the fire alarm, prompting hundreds of moviegoers to evacuate the theater. Houser then tried to flee by exiting the theater through a side door, Craft said.
His escape route was disrupted by two police officers who happened to be in the area. Houser turned back. He reloaded and reentered the theater, where he fired off three more shots before killing himself with a fourth, police said.
“That was a horrific scene in there,” Colonel Mike Edmonson of the Louisiana state police said at the conference. He described blood splattered on the theater floor, discarded snacks and a putrid stench.
Jindal too said he was disturbed by the tour of the theater, saying it was chilling to see blood and strewn personal belongings – shoes and purses lost as people ran for their lives – in the midst of what otherwise would look like a typical night at the movies with ticket stubs and popcorn littering the ground.
Craft said Houser had two 10-round magazines. Officers have found 15 spent shell casings in various parts of the theater, he said.
It is still unclear why Houser came to Lafayette to carry out the attack.
“This is such a senseless, tragic action,” Craft said. “Why would you come here and do something like this?”
Craft said Houser entered Louisiana in early July. It appears he visited Lafayette more than once, possibly to start a business, Craft said.
“He was out and about. We know he was doing some drinking,” the police chief said. “He was circulating while he was here.”
Officers are working to determine whether Houser had previously visited the movie theater.
An early portrait of Houser paints him as a 59-year-old “drifter” who was reported to have had problems with mental illness and to have had violent and “disturbing” thoughts since at least 2008.
While officials continue to scour the gunman’s journals and online writings, the community is focusing on the victims. Vigils are due to be held across the state on Friday to remember the lives of the two women slain in the rampage.
Breaux, who died in the theater, was a student at Louisiana State University in Eunice and lived in Lafayette, where she was working at clothing retailer Coco Eros.
Johnson, who died in hospital, was a locally known businesswoman and musician. She co-owned the boutique craft shop Red Arrow Workshop with her husband and also played ukelele in an all-female bluegrass band, The Figs.
On the shop’s Facebook page, Johnson’s husband called her a “once-in-a-lifetime gal” and thanked the community for its support.
“A mother, daughter, sister and a truly exceptional wife. She was an artist, a musician, an entrepreneur and a true renaissance woman. She was the love of my life and I will miss her always,” he wrote.
Outside the Red Arrow, flowers, cards and plants decorated the entryway in memoriam. On Friday afternoon, Claire Haydel and her daughters paused in front of the memorial. They did not know Johnson, but as residents of Lafayette, they too were deeply affected by the shootings.
Haydel and one of her daughters knelt in prayer.
“We pray for this world today, it’s just a different world,” Haydel said. “Sometimes the only thing you can do is pray.”
