UPDATE: A celebration of life for Jillian Johnson will be held at 12:30 p.m. Monday in the Delhomme Chapel of the Flowers on Bertrand Drive. Reverend John Wamsley will conduct the services. The family will accept visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Visitation will
continue Monday from 9 a.m. until the service begins at 12:30. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Lafayette Central Park, Inc., 2901 Johnston St., Suite 300, Lafayette, LA 70503, Attn: Johnson Memorial or online at http://cfacadiana.org/contribute. Select Lafayette Central Park, Inc.- General Fund and indicate that the gift is in memoriam of Jillian Johnson. Personal condolences may be sent to the Johnson family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Click here to read more.
UPDATE: Visiting hours for family and friends of Mayci Breaux will continue from 8 a.m. until 10:30 this morning with a funeral service to follow at the Church of the Assumption in Franklin at 11 a.m. Funeral services celebrating the life of Mayci Marie Breaux, 21, will be held during an 11:00 AM Mass of Christian burial on Monday, July 27, 2015, at the Church of the Assumption in Franklin. Burial will follow in the Franklin Cemetery. Father Lloyd Benoit will be the Celebrant for the Mass and conduct the services. Those wishing to make memorial contributions in Mayci’s name, the family asks that you please consider the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, New Orleans Chapter, 1215 Prutania, Suite 371, New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-455-5194,www.cff.org/NewOrleans/. Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com. Click here to read more.
UPDATE: Lafayette Consolidated Government has opened a Family Information Center to provide information and emotional support to the community following the Grand Theater shooting. The family information center, located at 911 Lee Ave. in downtown Lafayette, will open its doors at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 26. Beginning Monday, the center will be opened from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. The center is open to first responders, family and friends of those lost and injured, or to the public needing emotional support in the wake of the tragic events that rocked the community last week. The center is being provided free of charge to the public through a governmental insurance policy. The family information center is available for calls at (337) 806-9567.
UPDATE: The Westboro Baptist Church announced its intentions to picket the funerals of two shooting victims Friday. Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order aimed at keeping protestors away from the funerals of the Lafayette shooting victims.
Jindal said the Louisiana State Police plan to strictly enforce existing state law that prevents protesters from interfering with funerals, burials, wakes and other memorials. The protestors must stay 300 to 500 feet away from funeral proceedings for two hours prior to the event until two hours after it concludes. They are also not allowed to block or interfere a funeral route. Read more here.
UPDATE: Lafayette General announced that it discharged a patient mid-morning Saturday. Late Friday afternoon, LGMC announced that its ICU patient was moved to a regular room but remains in the facility. Both of its 2 remaining patients from Thursday night’s shooting remain hospitalized but are now listed in GOOD condition.
UPDATE: The Bayou Church invites the Acadiana community to gather for a time of prayer for the families of the victims, healing for the wounded, and strength for all law enforcement and first responders. Invite your neighbors to join us as we rally together to support our community. Who: All of Acadiana When: Saturday, July 25 // 6:00pm – 7:00pm Where: The Bayou Church // 2234 Kaliste Saloom Road
What: Prayer Vigil
UPDATE: Trinity Christian Methodist Church will hold a prayer vigil at Friday 7/24/15 7 p.m. at Parc Sans Souci for the victims of Thursday’s shooting at The Grand 16.
UPDATE: Community art project for victims at ACA tomorrow Sat 7/25/15 at 1:30. They will be making prayer flags, to be part of one big Acadian flag.
UPDATE: Great article written by Christiaan Mader for The IND about Jillian. Read it here.
UPDATE: Great news from LGMC: Hospital officials held a press conference early Friday afternoon to get the word out that all of the Grand Theater victims it is treating, including one who was in critical condition, are expected to make a full recovery. Total of 5 patients treated. Two were treated and released last night. All patients had gunshot wounds. Most extremity wounds, one in torso. Most patients weren’t clear on what happened, painting a picture of confusion and panic. Patient in critical condition is now stable.
UPDATE: Fr. Russo at Fatima has opened up the front of the Church to serve as a memorial if anyone would like to bring flowers. That’s a better place rather than having people going to the crime scene.
UPDATE: A gathering in Parc Sans Souci, Saturday the 25th at 7pm- for anyone who would like to join us in remembering and honoring the lives of those lost and affected in the shooting, and take the time to come together as a community to pray and show love. Click here for the Facebook Event Page.
UPDATE: Out of The State’s Capitol: BATON ROUGE, La. – Governor Bobby Jindal has issued an Executive Order calling for the flags at all state buildings to be flown at half staff until Friday, July 31, 2015 out of respect for the victims of the Lafayette movie theater shooting, including Mayci Breaux of Franklin and Jillian Johnson of Lafayette.
UPDATE: Three hundred people were in the The Grand Theater seeing a variety of movies and 116 people have been interviewed, as part of the police investigation into the shooting last night, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft said in a 11 a.m. press conference.
What we learned at this morning’s press conference.
The shooter has been identified as 58 year John Russel Houser from Alabama.
The victims were identified as Mayci Breaux, 21, Franklin and Jillian Johnson, 33, Lafayette.
Houser fired 13 shots, killed 2 and wounded 9. He plan to kill more and leave the theater alive but he was stopped by police on scene.
Authorities say Houser’s motive remains unclear. They do know he was estranged from his family.
Houser also had an “old” criminal history. He was charged for petty crimes including arson nearly 15 years ago.
Police are continuing to investigate.
UPDATE: He had been in Lafayette since early July and if you know of any info please call 337-291-8650 if you know John Russell Houser or have had any correspondence with him (suspected shooter).
UPDATE: Grand 16 shooter identified as John Russell Houser, 59, a drifter from Alabama who has been in Lafayette since early July.
UPDATE: Don’t forget the victims: State Police Chief Mike Edmonson says the victims – 21-year-old Mayci Breaux and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson ‘had a name, had a vision and it wasn’t to die in a theater.’
More details about the shooting… Click Here
