Three have been confirmed dead in the shooting at Grand Theatre on Johnson Street, according to Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft.
He said seven are injured, with injuries ranging from critical to non-life threatening. None of the names of the victims have been released.
As an abundance of caution, the Grand Theatre on Kaliste Saloom has been closed, and police are cruising the parking lot to keep people away, Craft said during a press conference.
"We don't know that yet either we don't know if this was just a random act whether it was a domestic situation really don't have her not for enough along to be able to determine that," Craft said.
Multiple witnesses reported the shooter was a white, middle-aged man, Craft said. State police have said the shooter was 58 years old, and was using a handgun.
City Marshal Brian Pope confirmed that the turned the gun on himself, and is dead.
At least some of the victims were taken to Lafayette General, but a hospital spokesperson said they would release no details until morning.
U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany said in a statement, "I'm saddened at the terrible loss of life represented in tonight's tragic shooting at a movie theater in my hometown of Lafayette. Bridget and I are praying for the families and friends of the victims at this difficult time. I will work with the Lafayette Police Department, local, state, and federal officials to get to the bottom of what happened tonight."
EYEWITNESS REPORTS
Jalen Fernell, 20, of Lafayette, was in the Grand Theatre watching "South Paw" with friends when he heard gunshots.
"They were very faint over the movie. I thought it was part of the movie," Fernell said. "About five seconds later, sirens went off and I realized it wasn't the movie."
Someone came on the intercom and told moviegoers to evacuate, Fernell said. Nobody knew what was going on so they took off running, he said.
Outside the theater building police were everywhere.
"I saw a woman lying on the ground outside with blood everywhere. She was shot in the leg," Fernell said.
Everyone started running again, he said.
"We didn't know what to do. You're scared to walk through the parking lot, You don't know if the guy's in a car, hiding in the parking lot," Fernell said.
More police pulled up with assault rifles and went into the building, he said.
"I heard gunshots like a war going on," Fernell said.
When the gunfire stopped, he heard from a police car radio that six people were down in Theater 14, he said.
More police pulled up, charging inside the building and more gunshots were fired. He heard the suspect was down; he had committed suicide, he said.
In the theater where the shooting took place, Emily Mann, 21, was watching "Train Wreck" with a friend in the second row from the top of the theater when she heard popping noises and noticed flashes coming from a gun held by a man in the same row on the other side of the theater, her father, Randall Mann, vice president of marketing and public relations at Acadian Ambulance, said.
Emily wasn't up to speaking to the media Thursday night, he said.
Mann said Acadian Ambulance transported eight patients to area hospitals. The company responded with 10 ambulances and off-duty personnel who heard about the shooting showed up at the scene to help, he said.
"They were very faint over the movie. I thought it was part of the movie," Fernell said. "About five seconds later, sirens went off and I realized it wasn't the movie."
Someone came on the intercom and told moviegoers to evacuate, Fernell said. Nobody knew what was going on so they took off running, he said.
Outside the theater building police were everywhere.
"I saw a woman lying on the ground outside with blood everywhere. She was shot in the leg," Fernell said.
Everyone started running again, he said.
"We didn't know what to do. You're scared to walk through the parking lot, You don't know if the guy's in a car, hiding in the parking lot," Fernell said.
More police pulled up with assault rifles and went into the building, he said.
"I heard gunshots like a war going on," Fernell said.
When the gunfire stopped, he heard from a police car radio that six people were down in Theater 14, he said.
More police pulled up, charging inside the building and more gunshots were fired. He heard the suspect was down; he had committed suicide, he said.
In the theater where the shooting took place, Emily Mann, 21, was watching "Train Wreck" with a friend in the second row from the top of the theater when she heard popping noises and noticed flashes coming from a gun held by a man in the same row on the other side of the theater, her father, Randall Mann, vice president of marketing and public relations at Acadian Ambulance, said.
Emily wasn't up to speaking to the media Thursday night, he said.
Mann said Acadian Ambulance transported eight patients to area hospitals. The company responded with 10 ambulances and off-duty personnel who heard about the shooting showed up at the scene to help, he said.
"We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker," she said.Katie Domingue of Carencro was at the 7 p.m. showing of "Train Wreck" with her fiance', Joshua Doggett. About 20 minutes into the movie, Domingue said, she heard a loud noise.
She saw "an older white man" standing up and shooting down, not in her direction.
"He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either," Domingue said.
She heard about six shots, then she and Doggett ran to the nearest exit, leaving behind her shoes and purse.
The White House was reportedly looking for City-Parish President Joey Durel's phone number.
The Grand Theatres in Lafayette and Broussard are owned by New Orleans-based Southern Theatres, LLC.
The company operates multiplex stadium-seating movie theatres in Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
Emile Ancelet was driving into the theater parking lot, where he was meeting his wife Brooke. Ancelet was surprised by the police presence.
“There was a woman lying down in the grass in the middle of the parking lot. People were around her calling for an ambulance.
“After that, there was a flood of police. I was trying to find out what was going on. I didn’t know if it was going on in the parking lot
“They were able to get the lady in an ambulance. The cops told us we had to leave. “
Ancelet and his wife safely left the area.
“There was a woman lying down in the grass in the middle of the parking lot. People were around her calling for an ambulance.
“After that, there was a flood of police. I was trying to find out what was going on. I didn’t know if it was going on in the parking lot
“They were able to get the lady in an ambulance. The cops told us we had to leave. “
Ancelet and his wife safely left the area.
Original story:
A shooting has been reported at the Grand Theatre on Johnston.
Acadian Ambulance is responding to reports of a shooting with multiple injuries at the theater.
We'll have more information here as we get it.
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