Three people were killed and nine wounded when a lone gunman opened fire in a Lafayette movie house

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal provides an update on the shooting at The Grand Theatre in Lafayette, LA

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Three people were killed and nine wounded when a lone gunman opened fire in a Lafayette movie house Thursday evening.

Lafayette police confirmed shortly before 8 p.m. law enforcement officers responded to a call about an active shooter at the Grand 16 Lafayette at 3141 Johnston St.

Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft confirmed at least three people were killed, including the gunman, who died from a self-inflicted wound.

Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Nine were transported to area hospitals, eight by ambulance and one by private party. One victim died at a hospital.

The suspect was described by several witnesses as a white, middle-aged male. State Police said the shooter, whose identity was not released late Thursday, was 58 years old.

“We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker,” Katie Domingue of Carencro said. She was at the 7 p.m. showing of “Trainwreck” with her fiance, Joshua Doggett, in Theater No. 14. About 20 minutes into the movie, Domingue said, she heard a loud noise.

She said she saw “an older white man” standing up and shooting down, not in her direction.

“He wasn’t saying anything. I didn’t hear anybody screaming either,” Domingue said.

She heard about six shots, she said, before she and Doggett ran to the nearest exit, leaving behind her shoes and purse.

The scene in the theater parking lot reflected the mayhem of the evening. News media had been moved offsite and were reporting from in front of a nearby coffee shop, Johnston Street Java. The parking lot itself was filled with emergency vehicles, including a Haz-Mat unit.

Authorities also closed down the Grand 14 on Kaliste Saloom in what they said was an exercise in caution. The parking lot was cleared shortly before 10 p.m. there, with four State Police units on the scene.

“We don’t know if this was just a random act or whether it was a domestic situation,” Craft said, saying the investigation was not far enough along.