The shooting rampage that unfolded in a darkened movie theater on Thursday night shook to the core the deep Cajun spirit that defines Lafayette, the heart of Acadiana country.
The strong roots that have knit this diverse community together for centuries are reflected in the response to Thursday night’s tragedy. Across the city, mourners gathered at makeshift memorials and vigils in the hours and days since a John “Rusty” Houser blighted the lives of so many in a few terrifying minutes.
The two victims killed in the attack are remembered by family and friends as energetic, with bright futures.
Jillian Johnson, 33, was a well-known and loved businesswoman and a member of the band the Figs. Mayci Breaux, 21, was a beauty queen due to begin radiology school at Lafayette General.
Nine people were injured and taken to hospitals, where three remain. All are in stable conditions and expected to recover.
Dozens left flowers, cards and remembrances were left outside the boutique Johnson owned with her husband. A memorial sprang up around a statue of Jesus Christ at the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic church. On a corner near the university, a group held a rosary prayer service with signs that told motorists to “Pray for the victims”. Students held a vigil at the Lafayette campus of the University of Louisiana on Friday.
“Everybody sort of flocks and wants to be together in times like this,” said Bree Sargent, the education director at Acadiana Center for the Arts, which hosted an event on Saturday afternoon for residents to decorate prayer flags. “We wanted to provide a space for that.”
Felt, glue, glitter, jewels and ribbon were spread across a fold-up table where dozens of people designed flags. Some were dedicated to the victims, others to the communities. “This will not change us”, read one sign. “Keep hope alive” was another.
“It says a lot about Lafayette, you know,” said Sarah Caldwell, who sat on the floor coloring flags with her children. “That’s how we express our joy, our grief. That’s how we come together – through art, through food, through music.”
Caldwell’s friend, Peggy Giglio, said the women discussed whether or not to bring their children to the event, and decided it was important they be exposed to the good in community.
Hundreds of people came to the vigil tonight to show their support to the victims and their families. pic.twitter.com/DFxpgI3yEM
— Lauren Gambino (@LGamGam) July 26, 2015
“I don’t want somebody else planting the seeds of this for them,” Giglio said. “If we don’t show them something positive – a community supporting each other, people doing good – then what’s left for them is something negative, and I’m not letting someone who did something awful be the person who gets to dictate to them what happened.”
Completed flags were strung together on the wall, ready to be taken to a nearby park where they will be hung at a candle-lit vigil on Saturday night. Afterwards an artist will sew them together to create an Acadiana flag.
Meanwhile more details emerged to paint a clearer picture of the Houser as investigators continued to search for a motive.
Houser had arrived in Louisiana only recently, police say. He was reported to have a history of mental health problems. Court records described him as exhibiting erratic behavior and having had violent and “disturbing” thoughts since at least 2008, leading to a restraining order regarding his family.
Police say he had recently received money from his family, and was possibly in Lafayette to pursue a business opportunity.
Also on Saturday, the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, issued an executive ordered to “preserve the peace at Lafayette funerals” after the Westboro Baptist church threatened to picket them.
“In times of grief and mourning, the rule of law is especially important to protect the rights of citizens when they are most vulnerable, and any effort to disrupt or interfere with a family’s ability to grieve following the loss of a loved one is a reprehensible act,” Jindal wrote.
#LafayetteStrong pic.twitter.com/14qrtNRl8t
— Lauren Gambino (@LGamGam) July 26, 2015
All the more because the gunman had expressed support on Twitter for Westboro Baptist church – considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center – saying it “may be the last real church in America”.
Jindal’s order allows state police to “take swift and immediate action” against anyone who tries to disrupt the funerals, which are due to take place on Monday, according to KLFY.
The community, too, reacted forcefully. Shortly after the church made its intentions known, a Facebook page popped up to organize a “human barrier” to shield family and friends from the hate-spewing picketers. Thousands indicated that they would participate.
Earlier, vendors and shoppers at the Lafayette farmers and artisans market at the Horse Farm paused for a moment of silence for the victims of the theater shooting. A bell was rung 11 times – once for each victim.
Residents had gathered at the farm, just blocks from the theater, for a prayer circle after the shooting on Thursday night. That was where Savannah Morris met a group of young people who returned on Saturday to offer free hugs.
“Do you want a hug?” Morris asked a shopper. The woman smiled, sceptically, but accepted the hug.
“People really need hugs right now,” Morris said. The booth’s owner typically set up the stand to sell juices and smoothies but she had changed her plans after Thursday’s attack. The community needed hugs more than juices, she had decided.
Although vendors and shoppers carried on with their Saturday morning routine, the shooting was a recurring topic of conversation.
One vendor said to a customer, “Maybe he didn’t like that we were the happiest city in America.”
The customer smiled: “We’ll move on from this. Have faith.”
