Lafayette, Louisiana theater shooter bought gun legally, police say

CNN ^ | 07/25/2015 | By Ralph Ellis and Greg Botelho

[SeekAndFind]

John Russell "Rusty" Houser methodically shot 11 people in a Lafayette, Louisiana, movie theater on Thursday night using a handgun he legally purchased from an Alabama pawn shop, authorities said Friday.

Houser stood up in the theater where the comedy "Trainwreck" was showing and fired off one 10-round clip, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craig said at a press conference.

"This was slow and methodical," Gov. Bobby Jindal said. "This was not a single burst."

Houser left the theater through a side door and headed toward his car, a 1995 Lincoln, but saw a police cruiser arrive in the parking lot, Craig said.

Houser, 59, reloaded his handgun, re-entered the theater and fired three more rounds, Craig said.

Then Houser, a law school graduate with a history of mental problems, fatally shot himself in the head, Craig said.

"Out of 20 rounds he shot 11 people, but some people suffered multiple wounds," Craig said. "One person was shot four times."

[Crim]

“history of mental problems”

Backround check fail.

But we need more gun laws...or something...

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Another one with mental problems, his own family reported him as being “extremely erratic” and of course the media will blame the gun and the fact that every single one of these mass shootings are done by mental patients is ignored. If he couldn’t get a gun, he could have burned the place down. How would they like if he jarred the emergency door open, walked to his car and came back with a homemade flamethrower or maybe set off a homemade bomb? The point being WHY are people with serious mental issues allowed to run amok? Where are the “men in the white coats” like the old days? How many times have we read where a shooters own family reports him and nothing is done? Just imagine how nuts someone has to be to have their own family call the cops on them, and woop they just let him go. If you commit a minor crime today, even shoplifting a judge lickety split can give you probation and demand you report to a probation officer. Why don’t they do that for these nuts? Test them weekly to see if they are taking their meds, that or they get institutionalized.

[BenLurkin]

law school graduate with a history of mental problems,

[Arm_Bears]

FBI screws the pooch, again.

[Paladin2]

The FBI, so proactive after the fact. Again.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Here’s a good example, and in the liberal sewer hole of New York city no less where nuts pushing people off subway platforms seems to be a monthly ritual.....Chinese guy just minding his own business and a nut whacks him across the face with a 2 x 4 for no reason. Oh “he has a history of unprovoked attacks”...So why is he on the street? What are they waiting for? For him to get a gun and shoot somebody? Why isn’t he committed? Why isn’t he put on parole for life and checked once or twice a week to see if he is taking his meds? If he isn’t then re-commit him.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/man-beaten-baseball-bat-midtown-hotel-cops-article-1.2303967

[Lazamataz]

Houser stood up in the theater where the comedy "Trainwreck" was showing and fired off one 10-round clip, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craig said at a press conference. "This was slow and methodical," Gov. Bobby Jindal said. "This was not a single burst." Houser left the theater through a side door and headed toward his car, a 1995 Lincoln, but saw a police cruiser arrive in the parking lot, Craig said. Houser, 59, reloaded his handgun, re-entered the theater and fired three more rounds, Craig said. Then Houser, a law school graduate with a history of mental problems, fatally shot himself in the head, Craig said. "Out of 20 rounds he shot 11 people, but some people suffered multiple wounds," Craig said. "One person was shot four times."

In New York, this never could have happened. They are limited to 7 round magazines.

That means he would have had to reload one more time, something he could clearly never have done.

Oh, wait....

[Tailback]

The author is lying. On the form 4473 that he had to fill out at the pawn shop, there is a question about whether you have any mental illness. He would have to lie, which is a crime.

[livius]

He failed one background check and couldn’t get a permit. I don’t understand how he was able to buy this gun from a pawnshop. So yes, they probably do need better laws.

[LouAvul]

They’re liars. He falsified the FFL form. He lied concerning his mental health background.

[smokingfrog]

Houser had a few interactions with authorities in Russell County, including a request for a permit to carry a concealed weapon that was denied because of the arson arrest and a 2005 domestic violence complaint that was never prosecuted.

[Dusty Road]

“He would have to lie, which is a crime.”

Yep and since his mental/medical history is off limit’s that’s all they have to do. Now how do you stop that? That can open a whole big can of worm’s that we may not want to open.