Gunman in movie theater shooting was 58-year-old white man

Local ambulance services say that eight people were taken to hospital. City Marshal Brian Pope told the newspaper that the shooter committed suicide after the incident.

Lafayette law enforcement officials have confirmed to TIME that they are on the scene after receiving reports of the shooting.

Louisian Gov. Bobby Jindal tweeted that he was on his way to the scene and asked his Twitter followers to pray for the victims and their families.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected during this horrific shooting. “No other persons who were not in that theater were injured”, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft told CNN.

Domingue told the newspaper she heard about six shots before she and her fiance ran to the nearest exit, leaving behind her shoes and purse. Craft said authorities knew the shooter’s identity but were not releasing his name during the early stage of the investigation.

Several sources said the shooting happened during the movie “Trainwreck”.

“A whole bunch of girls started screaming and we heard that someone was shot”, said Roxy Martinez.

“He wasn’t saying anything”, Domingue said.

“I’m saddened at the awful loss of life represented in tonight’s tragic shooting at a movie theater in my hometown of Lafayette”, Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany says in a statement.