Looks like someone decided that shooting folks at the movie theater is cool thing to do, and did so down the road from me.
This is still a “developing story.” At this time, we’ve got cops surrounding the place, and there’s reports that the SWAT team is responding.
Here’s what we do know:
The shot(s) happened around 1:15.
The mall and ice rink next to it have also been lock down.
I can confirm that the theater has no nifty little “no guns” stickers on the doors that protect us all.
This happened in a neighborhood called Hickory Hollow… which is well known for gang activity and many stores have left because of the crime rate (the mall died once because of it, and reopened with a completely different name in hopes of avoiding the stigma of being in Hickory Hollow).
I do, indeed, live damned close (it’s the next freeway exit) to this shopping area, and actually used to live in easy walking distance to this theater. There’s a very damned good reason why I will go out of my way to go somewhere else.
Based on what little we know, I’m thinking that this guy wasn’t looking to rack up the body count. Middle of the day at a theater isn’t usually a “target rich” environment. Given the nature of the area, I’m going to guess that this will turn out to be thug on thug violence. Obviously I’ll be watching this one closely.
*update* Local news is reporting that the shooter is dead (probably shot by the cops). The only other injuries that are being reported are 3 people that got pepper spray in the face and one person that had a cut on his arm (sounds like it was minor) from a hatchet that the shooter was also using.
*update 2 [wizardpc]*…Aaaaand the locals are now reporting he had an airsoft pistol and no real firearms.
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Sounds like another suicide by cop. Sad!
Well, Hickory Hollow did bring out the crazies even in the 80s.
I can’t really attest to how it was in the ’80s, but it spent most of the ’90s as a fairly decent lower-middle class area with a a good amount of potential to improve.
Like I said, I used to live right next to the mall there in the early 2000’s. I my apartment complex go from young families that couldn’t afford better, but were good folks to a bunch of gang members and thugs. Shortly after I moved, the big box stores started leaving and the mall couldn’t keep stores in it.