On Thursday night, a gunman killed two people and injured nine others before turning the gun on himself at a Lafayette, Louisiana movie theater. Since his new film Trainwreck was playing in the theater, Judd Apatow said he was devastated by the news.
Apatow sent a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, noting that, “One of the reasons we make these movies is because the world can be so horrifying and we all need to laugh just to deal with it. So to have this happen in a room where people were smiling and laughing devastates me.”
The director continued, “My thoughts and love go out to the victims and anyone touched by this madness or any madness. We, as a country,need to find a way to do better."
In addition to Apatow, comedian Amy Schumer, the star of Trainwreck, offered her condolences on Twitter. “My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana,” she wrote.
“All of us at Universal Pictures send our heartfelt sympathies to the victims of this senseless tragedy and their families in Louisiana,” Universal, which released the film, said on Friday.
Their comments came after the shooting at the Grand Theatre 16 in Lafayette. The shooter was identified by police as John Russell Houser, 59, a “drifter” from Alabama. The names of the deceased are Jillian Johnson, 33, and Mayci Breaux, 21. Authorities are still investigating Houser’s background to see if they can possibly find a motive. They have confirmed that the handgun was bought legally in Alabama last year and that he had an escape plan.
photo by Daniel S Levine