Gunfire rang out at 7:30 p.m. during a showing of the Amy Schumer hit comedy “Trainwreck” at the Grand Theater in Lafayette, according to police.
"We heard a loud pop we thought was a firecracker," witness Katie Domingue told The Daily Advertiser.

One of the two victims died at the scene, as did the gunman — who turned his weapon on himself. It’s unclear whether the second moviegoer died in the theater.
Police said the victims range in age from teens to 60s. They suffered minor to life-threatening injuries and were taken to area hospitals. Three remained in critical condition early Friday.

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The shooter, who witnesses said was a male patron and alone, used a handgun during the rampage, according to cops.
“We don’t know whether it was a random act, whether it was a domestic situation,” Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft told reporters. The shooter had a criminal past, authorities confirmed.
Domingue said she was inside theater No. 14 at the 16-screen multiplex when she spotted an "older white" man standing up at the rear of the cinema and firing into the seats in front of him.

“He wasn’t saying anything. I didn’t hear anybody screaming either,” she said. Domingue told the newspaper she heard about six shots and she scrambled to the nearest exit with her fiancé leaving behind her shoes and purse.
At least 100 people were inside the theater, police said.
More lives may have been saved by a pair of quick-thinking teachers, one of whom pulled the fire alarm despite being shot in the leg, according to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. He rushed to the scene,which is located about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge.
“One of the teachers jumped on top of the second teacher in an act of braveness,” and the other pulled the alarm, according to Jindal, who is seeking the GOP nomination for President.

PAUL KIEU/THE DAILY ADVERTISER VIA AP
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (c.) delivers a statement following a deadly shooting Thursday at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette, La.

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Cops say the 58-year-old shooter, who witnesses said was a white male, used a handgun during the attack.

LESLIE WESTBROOK/THE ADVOCATE VIA AP
Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft speaks to media at the scene of a shooting at the Grand Theatre on Thursday.

PAUL KIEU/THE DAILY ADVERTISER VIA AP
Lafayette Police Department and Louisiana State Police units block an entrance road following the rampage.

PAUL KIEU/THE DAILY ADVERTISER VIA AP
A Lafayette Police Department vehicle blocks an entrance at The Grand Theatre after the attack.
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The shooting, about one mile from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus, was contained to a single room, Craft said.
“We were buying popcorn at the concession stand when we saw a whole group of people—teenagers mostly—run out telling us ‘Run for your lives!’ ” one witness told CNN affiliate KATC.
Chaos ensued.
LESLIE WESTBROOK/THE ADVOCATE VIA AP
A Louisiana State Trooper responds to the scene of a shooting at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette, La.

“A whole bunch of girls started screaming and we heard that someone was shot,” Roxy Martinez told KATC. “There were a lot of people running.”
Martinez’s brother saw a woman who had been shot in the stomach.
“I see a lady full of blood in a dress,” Robert Martinez said. “She was just looking at me in complete fear.”
State police, FBI and ATF were on the scene and investigating the mass shooting.
Several people went to the scene and took to social media, concerned about loved ones who may have been in harm's way.
"Thanking God my mom and brother are okay, they were at the movie theater during the shooting," tweeted @littlebitbb.

Jindal, standing outside Lafayette General Medical Center, expressed grief for the victims and said he would meet with families.
“This is an awful night for Louisiana," Jindal said. "This is an awful night for the United States.”
The alarm was raised again hours later when police cleared a condo complex across the street from the theater, evacuating the area around 10:30 p.m. after discovering the shooter's car, police said. Residents and reporters were escorted from the area.
The gunman's car was parked nearby and bomb sniffing dogs flagged it as suspicious, although a search turned up nothing dangerous.
LESLIE WESTBROOK/THE ADVOCATE VIA AP
Law enforcement and other emergency personnel respond to the scene of a shooting at the Grand Theatre Thursday in Lafayette, La.
A movie theater across town was also closed out of caution as police cars patrolled the parking lot, The Advertiser reported.
The mass shooting comes on the same daya Colorado jury unanimously decided that the death penalty can be considered for mass murderer James Holmes, who gunned down12 people in a movie theater. Seventy more were injured in the July 20, 2012 massacre.
ANDY CROSS/AP
Aurora theater shooter James Holmes (seen in court) killed 12 people in July 2012.
Holmes opened fire at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in a suburban Denver theater.
Schumer, the star of the romantic comedy, offered her support for the victims Thursday night.
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