Lafayette shooting: Two shot dead by gunman at Louisiana movie theatre - as it happened
The gunman, who killed himself, was John Russel Houser
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two women have been shot dead and several seriously injured after a gunman opened fire at a cinema in Louisiana. Here are the latest updates:
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Around 100 people were inside the Grand Theatre in Lafayette at the time to watch Trainwreck, a comedy starring Amy Schumer.
A cinema-goer said she thought the noise of gunshots were firecrackers when they first went off at 7.30pm local time.
“We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” Katie Domingue told the Louisiana Advertiser.
She said she saw “an older white man” standing up and shooting down into the cinema, but not in her direction.
“He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either,” she added.
The gunman, 59-year-old John Russel Houser, fired his handgun “numerous times” before killing himself.
Additional reporting by AP
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments