Three people have been killed and seven others injured after a man opened fire at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana. One of the deceased is the suspect, who turned the gun on himself.
According to witnesses the man opened fire some 20 minutes into the movie Train Wreck, which was being screened at the Grand Theatre in in Lafayette.
"He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either," a witness told The Advertiser, describing the shooter as "an older white man."
Comment: Update: 59 year-old John Russell Houser has been identified as the suspected lone gunman, Louisiana police announced on Friday.
The shooter eventually turned the gun on himself, before authorities were able to approach him.
Police have the theater surrounded. Shooter may be in custody. pic.twitter.com/7m7S0RPxPI— Seth Dickerson (@SDickersonTDA) July 24, 2015
Lafayette police initially received the call about the shooting, which involved "multiple victims," at around 7:30pm local time. Multiple police teams were deployed to the scene, surrounded and swept the movie theater.
After police entered the building to "engage the shooter" they were able to confirm that he was unresponsive and likely dead, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft told reporters. The situation at the theater was "contained," he added.
A bomb squad was deployed to the scene after police identified the suspect's car and saw "suspicious objects" inside. The surrounding area was evacuated with witnesses reporting the presence of a bomb disposal robot.
Suspect was armed with semi-auto handgun. ATF is working on tracing gun #Lafayette— Seth Dickerson (@SDickersonTDA) July 24, 2015
Thoughts & prayers w/ victims, friends & families of all involved in movie theatre shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/BB2mId5OxM — Preston Phillips (@10NewsPhillips) July 24, 2015
Meanwhile an ambulance official confirmed to AP that in total eight people with gun wounds had been taken to hospital, two of whom were proclaimed dead on arrival - the gunman and one other person.
Another victim - one of the three in a critical condition - later died in hospital.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said that he had been in contact with local police and set off for Lafayette to oversee the investigation of the incident.
I'm on my way to Lafayette right now. Please say a prayer for the victims at Grand Theatre and their families. — Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) July 24, 2015
Almost three years ago, on July 20, 2012, another mass shooting took placee at the premier of 'Batman: The Dark Knight Rises' in Aurora, Colorado.
The gunman set off tear gas grenades and shot the audience at random with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others at a midnight screening.
The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, was arrested in his car which had been parked outside the cinema minutes later. His trial began on April 27, 2015. Holmes confessed to the shooting, but pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Prosecutors are currently seeking the imposition of the death penalty.
Another 'lone gunman'... how Hollywood is that? Nice of him to complete his task by shooting himself as well, perfect execution of the pattern.