Several people nearly died after a shooting in Nashville, Tennessee movie theater.
Yesterday, police were called to a movie theater outside of Nashville Wednesday in response to reports of a shooter, according to the Metro Nashville PD.
The call reporting a shooter was received by police at 1:15 p.m. Police, EMS and SWAT teams responded to the shooting. According to police reports, SWAT engaged the shooter following the 911 call resulting in a shootout. The suspect was killed.
1. The attack occurred during ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
The shooting occurred during a screening of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. Police report the suspect was armed with a hatched in addition to a gun. He also had two backpacks with him. It’s unclear what was inside of the bags.
2. No one was seriously injured
A man and two women were treated for pepper spray exposure and a superficial wound and luckily no one was sent to the hospital.
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) has released a statement, saying it “is grateful to the theater staff and first responders who acted so quickly and efficiently to end today’s incident without serious injury. Whether it is in churches, schools, malls, theaters or other public places, people have the right to go about their lives in peace and safety. The safety of our guests and employees is, and always will be, our industry’s highest priority.”
In a message posted on it website, Carmike Cinemas said “We are grateful for the quick and professional actions of our staff and all first responders in Antioch and Nashville. The well-being of our guests and employees has been and will continue to be of utmost importance to our organization.”
3. Movie Theaters think it is too expensive for more security
This is the second movie-theater attack in the last few months. It begs the questions: why is this happening and what are movie theaters doing to stop it?
We recently reported that movie theater chains argue that metal detectors and armed security are too expensive for movie theaters.
The cost of the equipment is only about $5,000, but personnel to run a proper checkpoint can cost $250,000 a year in smaller markets and $1 million in big cities.
“You will have to tell your customers to come a half-hour early to wait in a security line.”
4. The man carried an airsoft gun and a fake bomb in his backpack
Aaron said the airsoft gun resembled and semi-automatic handgun and looked realistic.
“If someone confronted you with it, you would think it was a real pistol,” he said.
According to Aaron, an Airsoft gun will make a pop, similar to a smaller caliber handgun.
Aaron said police were “not comfortable” with the contents of the two bags Montano was carrying and they needed to be destroyed. At least one of those bags was detonated just before 4 p.m.
After the detonation, Aaron described the contents of the backpack as a “hoax device.” He said items inside the backpack were designed to look like an explosive, but posed no threat to officers or the community. [WSMV]
The incident comes just two weeks after John Russel Houser opened fire in a Louisiana theater during a showing of Trainwreck, killing three and wounding nine.
