Gunman Kills 2 In LA, Wounds 9 Before Killing Self

A gunman opened fire on a movie theater in Lafayette, LA Thursday night, killing at least two people and injuring nine others before killing himself, police told the +Washington Post:

Police Chief Jim Craft said at a news conference that police received reports of a shooting at the Grand Theatre 16 around 7:30 p.m. Within a couple minutes of the start of shooting, officers entered the theater to confront the shooter; they found him dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound.  Two other people have been confirmed dead. Police said there were nine other injured victims, with injuries ranging from minor to critical and life-threatening.

Eight were brought to the hospital by ambulance, one via a private vehicle. Some have been released, but one injured victim remains in critical condition. Craft said that the youngest of the victims was in his or her late teens, while the oldest was about 60. The suspect is a 58-year-old white male with a criminal history, Craft said. He seemed to be sitting alone in the theater and used a semi-automatic handgun during the shooting.

The first two people hit were the audience members sitting right in front of him. “He bought a ticket and went into the theater. And sometime during the movie, he started shooting,” Craft said. Police are checking several addresses for the suspect in Louisiana and other states. They are not releasing further information about his identity because of the ongoing investigation.