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Lafayette Police Chief Says Theater Shooting Scene Is 'Horrific'

Police in Lafayette have identified the man they say opened fire at a movie theater, killing two others and wounding nine before turning the gun on himself. Little is known about the suspect and his motive.

Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft says 59-year-old suspect John Russel Houser had been staying a motel near the theater since the beginning of the month. Officers found wigs and disguises in his room, and his car was parked outside a theater exit.

“We are appealing to the public to contact law enforcement If they feel they know this shooter or have had contact with him because at this point we have very little information about him.”

Craft says officers are still processing the crime scene that he describes as “horrific.”

Eileen is a news reporter and producer for WWNO. She researches, reports and produces the local daily news items. Eileen relocated to New Orleans in 2008 after working as a writer and producer with the Associated Press in Washington, D.C. for seven years.

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