Posted on 07/24/2015 8:25:41 AM PDT by PROCON
The man identified as killing two people and wounding nine more in last night's shooting is John Russell Houser, 59, of Alabama.
He spent time in an East Alabama Mental Health Facility from 2008 to 2009, Russell County, Ga., Sheriff Heath Taylor tells KATC.
They're unsure what he was treated for, but will hold a press conference this afternoon to release information about him.
Houser was previously arrested for arson in Columbus, Georgia, but Taylor was unsure when that arrest happened. It may have been decades ago.
Houser was evicted from his Phenix City, Ala., home in March 2014, Taylor said. But he's unsure why he was evicted.
After the Sheriff's Office evicted him, he damaged the property. He disconnected the gas line into the fire place, causing fire to shoot of the line when it was turned on, Taylor said.
Phenix City Police took a report listing him as offender on criminal mischief, Taylor said. The warrant was never signed or carried out.
It's unclear whether he owned the gun he used in the shooting legally. He applied for a conceal-carry permit in 2006, but it was denied because of the arson charge, Taylor said.
That's because he had a previous charge of arson on his record from Columbus, Georgia.
Houser is also known as Rusty Houser, and apparently has a presence on social media as an outspoken conservative
The last thing someone posting as Rusty Houser posted on Facebook was in 2013, when he linked to an article called "A woman's place in the church and the weak church elder."He wrote, "The bible doesn't ask me to like what it says, only to obey it. Death comes soon to the financially failing filth farm called the US."
He only had two things liked on Facebook, among them "I hate liberals!"
Police called Houser a drifter and said he had only been in Lafayette since early July.
A man identified as John Russell Houser on Twitter tweeted only twice. He wrote, "If you don't think the internet is censored, try reading a newspaper from a country that hates liberals the way I do," in June 2013.
A little earlier, he wrote, "The Westboro Baptist Church may be the last real church in America members not brainwashed."
A man identified as Rusty Houser also posted on the website www.politicalforum.com. His last post, dated March 27, 2013, refers to the state of the American and world economies and says, "It is true that the US is about to fall. I will be in fear at that time as will everyone else, but not in a fear which resembles that of the leaders of foolishness and the brainwashed that follow.Truth carries with it an understanding of death. Rather than live without it,I will take death." [sic]
According to his LinkedIn profile, Houser claimed that he was an entrepreneur. The profile claims he owned and operated two bars and was a real estate developer. However, his last listed job is in 2006.
In addition, a John Russell Houser from Phenix City, Alabama, is listed as a member of a group called the Tea Party Nation. However, KATC could not confirm if this John Russell Houser is one in the same with the shooter.
This story is developing.
We see which direction this is going.
The shooter had one ‘l’ in Russel. The majority of the on-line stuff they are quoting for sensationalism seems to have two ‘l’s.
Still a mystery why a muslim killed four Marine recruiters though...
Sheriff Heath Taylor is unsure
Reading this was like reading the Sunday comics.
Yes, someone who hates America and likes Westboro Baptist is *absolutely* a conservative.
/sarc
This sounds like bull-pucky.
Spoken like a true Conservative, huh?
The WBC is a DNC Front made to try to make conservatives look bad.
Anyone know what his FR troll handle was?
I found it odd that he off’d himself when the police showed up.
If he had just shot himself this 15 minutes earlier, there would have been no mayhem.
Sounds like a programmed response to me.
Not unlike the Newtown shooter.
And how convenient—Social Security wants to take away guns from recipients that have third party payment, and here we are with a 58 year man that makes the case.
They don’t even hide their methods anymore.
Wow. The lamestream media is going to eat this up.
The media won't have any trouble figuring out motivation here and will probably run with it for weeks!
Now, a Muslim who spent 7 months in Jordan and Yemen, had Jihad sayings posted all over his Facebook, and an admirer of al-Alwaki who went on a shooting rampage at two military installations and murdered 5 military men? Not so much. It's terribly murky and nobody will ever be able to figure it out. Ever.
A movie that always stood out to me as really creepy: Telefon
You know the will draw the line from WB churchs stance on homosexuality and some conservatives matching views.
Same old lack of enforcement with these erratic people. Pay us now (warrant) or we pay later (murders).
The people who didn't follow up on the warrant should get some grief as a lesson to all, but they will stay in the shadows (unnamed), skate as usual, and the same thing will occur a few years from now.
You said it.
Appearing very contrived.
Tweeted twice?
Hate Liberals?
Westboro Church?
Drifter?
Tea Partier?
All three names John Russell Houser
Problem, reaction, solution is so obvious.
See how long it takes Obama to squawk about this patsy.
The shootings are coming faster and faster aren’t they?
Oh and didn’t we have Mr. Brave Badass THUG (Red 2),(Leaves of Grass)Richard Dreyfus out yesterday tweeting the second amendment needs to be changed to apply on to militia.
People really do have scales on their eyes don’t they?
"Golly, Mister Peabody, the hits just keep coming, don't they?"
So does the narative.
Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for Germany in 1933 - because we are seeing little Reichstag fires break out all across the land.
The Watchman Ping List - FReepmail Old Sarge for details!
We do have a mental health problem.
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