. >> reporter: tonight new details emerging of the shooter, 59-year-old, john russel houser. of his victims two dead and nine wounded. and of the terrifying moments after he opened fire inside the lafayette movie theater. it all began last night. >> he walked in just like any other patron purchased a ticket to watch the movie. it didn't set off any alarms with any body. >> reporter: houser attending the 7:10 of "trainwreck." sitting alone at the back of the theater. at 7:30 he started shooting. emily mann sitting feet away from the gunman. >> something clicked in your brain that said run. when did that happen? >> the second shot. when it wasn't just one, wasn't a firecracker. >> reporter: confusion and chaos as houser fires 13 rounds from a 40 caliber handgun. >> i was down between the seat in front of me and my seat. you feel stuck. you have to get out. >> reporter: emily crawled her way out to safety. >> a woman pulled me around. she probably got me out of there, three or four second faster than i would have by myself. she stayed there another second. for me. >> reporter: t

grand 16 multiplex 59-year-old john russell houser was a troubled man living at a local motel. as jonathan martin reports he also had a deep hatred of the government. >> reporter: the picture emerging from john russell houser a drifter from alabama who left a trail of antigovernment writings online. >> he makes and about the government rants about different people around the world. >> police in lafayette louisiana said he opened fire about 20 minutes into the showing of train wreck killing 21-year-old mayci breaux and 35-year-old jillian johnson. nine others were injured. >> a couple of section later we heard four more we took on running we did not look back. >> as i get to the front i see a middle aged woman on the curb with blood coming out of her leg. >> police say houser only saw one way out. >> he intended to escape after he did the shooting. he had the car parked outside an exit door, an emergency exit door of the theater. so we think the early or immediate intervention by law enforcement prevented him from being able to leave the building so he reentered the theater and

houser's family is speaking out tonight. rem houser telling cnn that he saw his deeply troubled brother one month ago. >> he just needed some money to continue moving on living on you know living surviving. so we gave him some. that was the last we heard of him. hadn't heard of him in ten years prior to that and hadn't heard from him since. this was a complete shock. >> anna, a lot of new details coming out from police and officials there. >> reporter: that's right. we're learning that the gunman entered the theater through the front lobby doors and with him he had this high-point .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. after he opened fire shooting nearly a dozen people then he tried to escape through a side exit door near where his car was parked. police were already moving in. so he turned and went back inside turning the gun on himself. tonight, we're learning a lot more about who this shooter was. but his motive remains a mystery. 7:30 p.m. 20 minutes into a screening, 59-year-old john russel houser in the second to last ro

the shooter, john houser then kills himself. jeffrey toobin we learn john houser legally purchased a handgun at a pawnshop in alabama in february of last year. most americans want to sew greater background checks. he had a history of criminal activity. legally can go into a pawnshop and buy this gun. you heard the president say, his biggest frustration is he couldn't get this tighter gun safety control done. it seems may not try given the opposition. what's going on? >> i think this is one of the paradoxes of the american political system that you have especially in the united states senate you have small states overrepresented in terms of per capita representation and smaller more rural states are more pro-gun. and there is just simply not a majority constituency for gun safety rules, even in light of the fact that the public is overwhelmingly supportive of it. so this sort of situation seems likely to continue. the terrible tragedy is even those of us who cover these stories on a daily basis have a hard time keeping track of h

then, in 2014, houser lost his home to foreclosure. the current owner, dan ramsel, says houser trashed the place. ramsel gave reporters these photographs. >> he had booby trapped it disconnected the fireplace inside with the gas line. he poured cement down all the drains and toilets. he set the gas line on fire. >> reporter: late today, investigators revealed that last year houser legally purchased the handgun used in the shooting from an alabama pawnshop. charlie, in 2006, he had been denied a permit in alabama to carry a concealed weapon. >> rose: thanks, jeff. this caught our eye today: according to the web site www.shootingtracker.com, there have been 204 mass shootings in the first 204 days of this year. a mass shooting is defined as four or more people shot in one event. this was president obama in an interview with the b.b.c. yesterday, just hours before the killings in louisiana. >> if you look at the number of americans killed since 9/11 by terrorism, it's less than 100. if you look at the number that have been killed by gun v

in 2008 houser's family asked for a protective order. in court documents obtained by nbc news, his wife said he had a history of mental issues, i.e. manic depression and/or bipolar disorder, exhibited extreme erratic behavior. in a police report houser's wife said she removed all the guns from their house. he "should not have one unless he obtained it illegally." >> the lafayette police department is trying to find something that says why did he walk in that theater? >> reporter: victims ranged in age from their teens to their 60s. the two dead, both women, didn't know each other. 21-year-old mayci breaux, a student who worked in a local clothing store. today her younger sister said she was her rock. >> she taught me how to be the strong person i am today. she taught me not to care what other people think and taught me how to be a good person. >> i'm jillian johnson. >> reporter: 33-year-old jillian johnson, a musician and a mom, owned a local boutique. today a growing memorial at her store. >> i think that jillian was a true example of

houser goes back inside and shoots himself in the head. taken to a nearby hospital, 33-year-old jillian johnson dies a short time later. nine others are also shot and wounded. police say houser arrived in lafayette just weeks ago. he was staying at a nearby motel. it appears he had carefully planned a get-away. >> we found wigs and glasses and disguises basically in his room. hess vehic his vehicle had a switched license tag on it and parked right side the theater. >> he spent his life in georgia and alabama. over the years he got a law degree and ran for tax commissioner, a job his father held and went on to own two bars and hanging a black flag with a swastika outside one and he was well-known as a rebel rouser on local talk radio and tv as well as city council meetings and spouting anti-government extremism. so extreme he was trapped by an organization that track late groups. they released what he said in recent years. hitler is love. houser's ex-wife filed a protective order against him in 2008. he was committed to a mental facility. h

houser. there are some other involvements in columbus. there's some other things that he did in columbus. i understand that he was active politically over there. in the columbus area. i understand that he actually ran for public office a time or two in columbus. none of that occurred here in phenix city. i'll open it up for questions. understand, please that this is an early investigation and there is some information that may or may not be able to be released. >> the domestic violence arrest in 2005 was that prosecuted by -- >> it wasn't an arrest. let's make sure we're clear. it was only a report made with the police department. he was never arrested for that domestic violence. so make sure we understand. it was a report and the report detailed what occurred. but he was never arrested. >> why wasn't there a prosecution? or an arrest. was that the choice of the people that filed the report? >> yes. looking at it the -- of course the laws today are certainly different than they were in '05 and it looks like in '05 there was never any foll

john russell houser, a 59-year-old drifter who left a series of antigovernment writings online. >> we looked at the blogs. he makes rants about situations around the united states, around the world. >> police in lafayette louisiana said he opened fire with a season 22 caliber pistol. killing macy rowe and jillian johnson. >> we heard shots we took off running and did not look back. >> as i get to the front i see a middle aged woman with blood coming from her legs. >> with officers surrounding the theater houser saw no way out. >> he intended to escape. he had the car parked outside an exit door, emergency exit door outside the theater. we think the early or immediate intervention by law enforcement prevented him from being able to leave the building so he reentered the theater and that's when he shot himself. >> we also know that houser was turned down for a concealed weapons permit in phoenix city, alabama, where he lived earlier this year. >> at the time he applied for the permit he had an arson arrest as well as a domestic violence report. >> the court ordered houser not to contact

writings in john houser's hotel room reveal who he really wanted to kill. on a historic visit to his father's homeland, president obama criticizes the treatment of gays in kenya. >> it's good to be a king. >> axelrod: as sure as elvis has left the building, weddings are leaving las vegas, but why? and as we look back on the careers of the baseball hall of fame's class of 2015, we'll also look ahead. how much is it important for you to continue to develop parts of yourself as a human being and not a baseball player? captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> axelrod: good evening. i'm jim axelrod. and this is the western edition of the broadcast. we begin tonight in lafayette, louisiana, where investigators are learning more about john russell houser, the man who opened fire in a movie theater thursday night, killing two and wounding nine before killing himself. the portrait of houser that's emerging-- an angry and mentally disturbed man who had a swastika outside his business and praised hitler on extremist web sites. omar villafranca be

this man, 59-year-old john russel houser shot and

houser had a history of violence and mental health issues. back in 2001 houser reportedly placed a banner with a swastika outside a bar that he owned. in several on line rants detectives say houser was not shy about expressing his anti american views. >> he has been contacted by numerous agencies that feel they have had some type of contact, or run in with this individual. >> reporter: investigators know houser spent past few weeks living alone inside a motel six in lafayette. there they found wigs, glasses and disguisees insides his room. >>> family and friend of the woman from illinois, found dead inside a jail in texas are remembering her as a courageous voice for social injustice. sandra bland was arrested following a traffic stop that escalated in to a physical confrontation with the police officer. authorities say that bland then committed suicide three days later while still behind bars. the medical examiner says bland's autopsy results confirmed that she did commit suicide, still bland's family is calling for an independent autopsy. >

houser applied for a concealed carry permit. that permit was denied. >> reporter: before his name made national headlines, john russell houser earned a law degree in alabama. he was politically active, even running for office as an ultraconservative in georgia. expressing controversial views in online forums. one post reading, america is so sick that i now believe it will be the enemy of the world. in 2001 he placed a swastik outside the bar he owned. he denied that he was a nazi sympathizer. the drifter spent the last few weeks living at this motel 6 in lafayette. what detectives discovered in his room only deepens the mystery. >> we found wigs and glasses and disguises basically in his room. >> reporter: but there's no disguising houser's troubled past. his last known address was here in alabama, where he was evicted last year after the owner say he booby-trapped the fireplace by tampering with the gas line and trashing their house. >> i didn't want him to hurt us. >> reporter: his marriage fell apart, too. in 2008, his wife a

houser had a history of violence, mental health issues in 2001 he kick up controversy for hanging a was particular a he suffered on line rants and expressed anti american views. according to stories he post america is so sick now i believe it to be the enemy of the world. >> we have been contacted by numerous agencies that feel that they have had some type of contact or run in with this individual. >> reporter: in 2008 his wife and family asked for protection order citing houser's extreme behavior including acts of family violence. she became so worried that she removed all of the guns from their home. the houser's brother spoke exclusively with the the station. >> we are just trying to get our arms around this situation right new. >> reporter: investigators know he spent last few weeks living here in motel six leaving behind wigs, glasses and disguisees in the room but still today his motive remains a mystery. marci gonzales for abc news, louisiana. >>> president obama made history today as first american president to visit the first african nation have of kenya they lined the streets

then in 2014, houser lost his home to foreclosure. the current owner says houser trashed the place. he showed reporters these pictures. >> hey booby trapped it. he set the gas line on fire. >> investigators say houser legally purchased the handgun at an alabama pawnshop last year. >> thank you for that veronica. >>> this caught our attention tonight. in the past 204 days l have been 204 mass shootings in the united states. according to the website shootingtracker.com, a mass shooting is defined as four or more people shot in one event. >>> hackers take the wheel. the driver can't stop them. tonight, the massive recall because of this scary scene. >> and, one bay area realtor is making a sweet offer tonight. bake the best desert and win this house. seriously. >> plus, what happened in tonight's giants ands game that made >> well, an extraordinary rescue. people saving a woman trapped beneath a car after an horrific crash. surveillance video captures the collision. it happened about two weeks ago in dallas. car hits a woman who is riding a motorcycle. she ends up pinned to the street

houser then killed himself. two teachers were inside that theater that night, and not only did they save each other, during the chaos, they were somehow able to pull off the fire alarm that likely saved many many other lives. cnn's kyung lah reports. >> get the ambulances over here now! >> chaos, basically. >> reporter: unfolding inside the movie theater where high school teachers jena meaux and ali martin were celebrating a last girls night out before the start of school. >> wow. they took their training and put it into action even outside of the classroom. >> reporter: their training as teachers says friend and co-worker cammie training you don't expect to use while watching a movie. >> one teacher jumped in front of her friend potentially saving her life. the second teacher said that bullet was coming for her head if her friend hadn't jumped on top of her. both were injured. the second was injured in the leg. >> reporter: both shot bleeding yet somehow, the friends who saved each other then thought of the 100

also that houser had a history of mental problems. >> authorities say this man john russel houser bought a ticket at the grand theater. sat through the previews, 20 minutes through the movie stood up shot two people sitting in front of him and fired at the pawns>> how does the happiest place in the world produce someone so hate and evil to snand a -- stand and shoot people. >> witnesses say they thought the shots were a part of @ movie. >> we saw a lady with blood on her legs. >> police say houser shot and killed jillian johnson. 21-year-old mayci breaux from franklin louisiana also died at the scene. authorities believe houser trying to blend in with the crowd rushing out of the theater, saw police officers and went back inside. >> we know he had at least one additional magazine which he dropped in the lobby. he reinserted, reloaded and returned back into the theater at which point he think he fired one in additional round into himself. >> local and federal investigators are now digging into houser's path. saying he was a drifter and living in a motel 6 in lafayette for the past month.

houser shot at least 13 rounds. witnesses say it was complete chaos. >> we just heard the alarm go off, and everybody was screaming to get out. people panicking everywhere. it was all panic. >> reporter: first responders race to the scene carrying out the wounded. this cell phone video shows an officer and two civilians coming to the aid of one victim. houser's car, a 1995 blue lincoln continental with swapped-out license plates was parked right outside the exit leaves his keys on top the tire. police say his plan was to escape. >> there were two police officers actually on the property at the time the incident occurred. the quick response forced him back into the theater, at which time he shot himself. >> reporter: 21 mayci breaux died on scene. 33-year-old jillian johnson suck coupled to her injuries at a nearby hospital. two of those injured were teachers getting ready for the start of a new school year. one of them pulled a fire alarm after being shot. >> one teachers literally jumping over her friend potential

. >> reporter: houser fired 13 shots in the theater. he tried leave as crowds ran out, but ran when he saw the police, the victims: investigators remained at the crime scene looking for clues and a motive. >> why would you come here and do something like that? and so, just like the victims, we're searching for answers, too. >> reporter: police are asking the public for help. >> police say houser was estranged from the family and had no significant run-ins with the law for more than a decade. jaspers spiers, the man accused of stabbing a metro passenger is in court. he is charged the murder of kevin sutherland, police say he stabbed him to death on july 4 on a train. he will then appear off a separate robbery charge. they say it was a crime spree fueled by sin they will i can instruction. >>> synthetic trust. >>> 35-year-old patricia rolls is facing second degree cruelty to children charges after two parents complained about bruises on their 3 and 7-month-old babies. the day-care owner says she has been fired. owner did not want to go on

houser applied for a concealed carry permit. that permit was denied. >> reporter: john russell houser earned a law degree he was politically active even running for office as an ultra conserve conservative conservative. according inging to one post america is so sick that i know believe it will be the enemy of world. he denied that he was a nazi sympathizer. what detective discovered in his room only deepens the mystery. >> we found wigs and glasses and disguises basically in his room. >> reporter: but there's no disguising houser's troubled past. his last known address was here in alabama, where he was evicted last year after he bobby trapped the fireplace. >> i didn't want him to hurt us. >> reporter: his marriage fell apart, too, in 2008 his wife and family asked for a protective order. saying he exhibited extreme erratic behavior. including various acts of family violence. his wife so worried, she removed all guns from their home. houser's brother speaking exclusively to our atlanta affiliate, with sb. >> we're just trying t

police say houser fired at least 13 rounds. i spoke with the state trooper who told me he went outside, reloaded came back in and took his own life. >> we know he had at least one additional magazine which he dropped in the lobby. he reinserted reloaded and returned back into the theater at which point we think he fired one additional round and that was to himself. >> want to take you live to that news conference that just began in phenix city alabama, where this man once lived. >> also assisting in this case we've offered our assistance in any way that we can, investigating anything that they need on this end in alabama or anywhere around us here. this is an ongoing case and i hope you understand that it is still early. so we will be focusing today on strictly mr. houser's involvement with my department here the sheriff's office and in the time frame that he lived here in phenix city. as best we can tell mr. houser lived at 1101 32nd street off and on from '05 until 2014. he also had a residence in columbus. him and his family

john russell houser fired 13 rounds from a handgun, killing two women and injuring at least nine other people and then police say he tried to escape and had his car waiting near the exit door and the offices arrived so quickly he turned the gun on himself instead. he don't know why he was in louisiana but was staying in a hotel the last few weeks. >> reporter: investigators are still at the scene of the movie theater shooting in louisiana a keep that could have been far worse were it not for the heroic efforts of two teachers. >> gun fire ripping through this louisiana movie thoughter last night. two killed and nine injured. dozens of owners running for their life. >> i saw a woman with blood all over their leg i grabbed my child and ran. they say that this money, john russell houser stands up during the showing of the comedy trainwreck pulled out a semi automatic handgun and then starts shooting. >> 28-year-old macy broet do iing at the scene and jillian johnson died at the hospital two of the injured were teachers one taking the bullet for the other both praised as heroes. >> the sec

police say 59-year-old john russel houser had a history of mental health issues. fox news correspondent will carr is in lafayette, louisiana tonight with the report. >> reporter: a fun thursday night turned horrific in a matter of seconds as an innocent group was gunned down as they were watching a movie. authorities say this man john russel houser bought a ticket to the new comedy train wreck at the grand theatre in lafayette, and stood up pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and shot two people in front of them. he fired at the audience reloading at least once. >> how does the happiest place produce somebody full of hate and eville to stand up in a movie theater and shoot people. >> reporter: witnesses say at first they thought the shots were part of the movie. >> we saw a lady with blood all over her leg, i grabbed my child and all ran. >> reporter: houser ultimately shot jillian johnson her family said their hearts are shattered. mayci breaux was also killed. authorities believe houser tried to blend in with the crowd and saw police officers and went back inside

they say houser had a hate. let's listen to part it. we don't have the sound bite but let me tell you about the westboro baptist funerals when you've ever seen any of the signs. what could have been done to create a bigger flag over houser or have prevented this? >> we always find ourselves in this position after one of these type of situations what could have been done in advance but a lot of it has to do with who knows the information, when they know it and how fast they can get it out to law enforcement authorities to get in between that perpetrator and those that might end up being victims, such as what we saw here at the theater. it is a horrible and awful situation, but it seemed like we just keep experiencing these reoccurring themes of someone who may have mental health issues, but then when we think about it, they seem to be very planned as well, which would suggest in some ways they were sanity in what they were doing in thirn minds. >> tom fuentes said until we do something about the mental health programs in this program and

the shooter, houser known as rusty was 59 years old. police say he acted again, fired about 13 rounds. investigators say he planned to escape by parking his car near a theater exit. he went back into the theater when he saw police. he's described as a drifter from alabama who arrived in the lafayette area earlier this month. investigators are still searching for a motive. police in lafayette say houser shot and killed two people before turning the gun on himself just after 7:00 thursday night. we know police officers helped carry several people from the theater. some people ran out without their shoes and abandoned their belongings. i spoke with louisiana governor bobby jindal. not only is he crediting police officers with getting to the scene within minutes, but teachers inside the theater who saved lives. >> we know the shooter tried to escape had his car parked nearby. he came out and saw law enforcement, went back in the theater, shot and killed himself. a lot of quick thinking. we had a couple of teachers, one of whom jumped in fro

houser. there are some other involvement in columbus, there's some other things that he did in columbus. i understand that he was active politically over there in the columbus area. i understand that he actually ran for public office a time or two in columbus. up in of that occurred -- none of that occurred here in phoenix city. i'll open it up for questions. understand please, that this is an early investigation and there's some information that may or may not be able to be released. >> domestic violent arrest in 2005 -- [inaudible] >> it wasn't an arrest. let's make sure we're clear. only a report made with the police department. he was never arrested for that domestic violence. so make sure we understand it was a report, and the report detailed what occurred, but he was never arrested. >> why wasn't there a prosecution? -- [inaudible] >> we're looking at it. the laws today are certainly different than what they were in '05, and it looks like in '05 there was never any followup by the victi

. >> reporter: 59-year-old john houser sat near the top of the movie room, then waited till the movie got underway and then opened fire. lucas was never 6 feet away from the shooter. >> you could see the flash coming from the chamber. it was awful. >> reporter: 21-year-old mayci breaux and 33-year-old jillian johnson were killed and nine others injured. >> one of the surviving wounded victims played dead to stay alive. >> reporter: witnesses say houser exited through a side door and reloaded his gun just as police were arriving. he ran back inside, fired several more shots, then took his own life. in 2008 houser's family had him involuntarily committed in of mental health issues. >> that should have stopped him from buying a weapon. >> reporter: police have confirmed houser's automatic handgun was purchased legally in alabama in 2014. five victims are still in the hospital and there are vigils for the victims throughout the weekend. d? >>> well, of course, lesli, friday nights are always busy nights at movie theaters, but tonight we wondered what is the mood like in the multiplex afte

surveillance footage shows houser's car leaving the motel at 6:41. it was only four miles to the theater. inside the room it is a mess. bottles of alcohol clothes all over and the tv still on. police say they fnd a wig and glasses here they believe houser used as a disguise. michael edmonson is the louisiana state police superintendent. >> we know he had been in other movie theaters across south louisiana, probably lake charles and baton rouge in a disguise and wig in baton rouge. somebody said we saw him and felt so uncomfortable we left. >> the 59-year-old drifter made a $100 deposit when he checked into the motel on july 3rd. he paid $286 a week for a room. surveillance video shows his final days walking through hallways, down the side of the building even smiling as he stopped by the check-in desk. the owner says houser was polite and unremarkable. >> he was never threatening rude. >> nothing like that no. >> reporter: problematic. >> he mind his own business. he did what he had to do and that is basically it. >> reporter: investigators will reen

the owner says houser was polite and unremarkable. he was never threatening, rude. >> nothing like that, no. >> reporter: problematic. >> he mind his own business. he did what he had to do and that is basically it. >> reporter: investigators will reenter the movie theater tomorrow. the crime scene is still marked with purses, popcorn and blood. more than 100 witnesses have already been interviewed. nicole zammit fuselier is one of them, she saw the gunman reload. >> ten rounds went off when i realized, you know, 6th or 7th round i drop and am looking at him. because i know guns i said he is reloading. so i screamed to everybody, he's reloading, get the hell out of here now. >> reporter: nicole said the gunman never said a word and walked casually as he shot randomly. the mother of three has had time to reflect on just how close she came to being a victim. >> just sitting there, so had i not been back, the way he was aiming, my head, my neck, my heart were exposed to him. so statistically, i shouldn't be sitting here. i'm here today by

the family of john rusty houser describes a history of mental illness. in 2008, they had him committed to a hospital against his will. and yet last year, houser was able to legally purchase a gun in alabama. it's the latest mass shooting to raise questions about potential cracks in the federal background check system. we begin tonight with nbc's gabe gutierrez in lafayette, louisiana. gabe, good evening. >> reporter: kate, good evening. one of the biggest questions right now is why here? the gunman had no ties to the community. only his uncle died here three decades ago. investigators say he was a drifter, and they are now digging deep into his past. today newly released dispatch recordings of first responders racing to the movie theater. >> need you up to the grand theatre on johnson. we have an active shooting there. >> reporter: two people shot dead. plus the gunman. nine wounded. >> headquarters to the unit at the grand. it is safe to enter. >> reporter: police say the shooter, 59-year-old john rusty houser had planned his getaway. he walked out this

joey the sheriff in houser's home county said despite houser's known mental problems they could not get him off the street. what do they mean by that? >> well there are a couple of things to consider here because you have what are called civil confinement and civil commitment laws. what those do is it enables a family member a friend or someone who believes that you pose a danger to yourself or to others to confine you against your will. those laws of course vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. however, you do have the ability in the event that someone really is acting in a dangerous way to petition the government to come get them. law enforcement. and to commit them until such a time that they are okay and could be released. the problem is you cannot keep a person there forever. there is a time frame upon which you must be released. you can't take people out of public view. it certainly reinforces the need and commitment to have a discussion about the commitment laws and how effective they can be and how they can be used moving forward. >> lawrence we know houser bought the gun lega

harden also knew john houser. he was an associate of mr. houser. jeff, are you with me? >> i am with you. >> first of all, talk to me a little bit about the shooter, what -- how do you know him? when was the last time you spoke to him? >> craig, first i'd like to say my prayers are with the victims' families and also rusty's family as they deal with this unforeseen and just crazy trauma tragedy. i have not spoken to rusty in several years. rusty and i had a business deal in phenix city. rusty at that time was flipping houses for a living. he bought a house with land and flipping houses, buying houses, fixing them up and flipping them. came to me. that's what i was doing at the time. i was a part-time mayor and i was flipping houses and rusty had come to me and was looking to finish up a house he was working on and had run out of money. i bought in half with him and the deal a couple months into it just different work out. so i ended up buying himg out and we parted company. rusty was a good guy until you disagreed with him. so he had one of -- he was kind of an odd chara

then in 2014 houser lost his home to foreclosure. the current owner says houser trashed the place. he gave reporters these photographs. >> he booby trapped it. disconnected the fireplace inside. it was a gas line. he poured cement down the drains and toilets. he set the gas line afire. >> reporter: late friday investigators reveal last year houser legally purchased handgun used in the shooting from an alabama pawn shop in 2006 he had been denied a permit in alabama to carry a concealed weapon. >>> president obama is in kenya this morning on his father's side. it is his first visit there since becoming president and security is very thousands of people have been lining up on the streets of nairobi trying to get a view of the president. major garrett is traveling with the president in africa and is in nairobi. hi major. >> reporter: good morning. after a swift and low key arrival ceremony and dinner with his extended kenyan family last night president obama this morning dove into a busy agenda of economic development, counterterrorism and human rights. at the global entrepreneurship

houser's movements and arrival here at the theater. authorities say that he parked his car by an exit. that they believe that he was planning to try to get away alive. but it was the quick reaction of two officers who were able to get inside that theater before houser turned the gun on himself and authorities talking about discovering wigs and disguises in the motel room where he was staying. >> also ed are police ed still searching that hotel? >> reporter: that's my understanding, that that was going on and that's a short distance from this movie theater. but, you know that's where they discovered the disguises and the wigs that was in kind of a disturbing detail that was released just a short while ago. and obviously, that's one of the reasons why i think authorities here are saying that they believe that mr. houser especially the way he parked his car next to an exit on the side of the theater that that's one of the reasons why they believe that he was intentioned to stand up fire off the rounds to fire and then try to escape alive.

according to the filing the wife in all of this, kelly maddox houser. according to these documents has quote, become so worried about the defendant's volatile mental state she removed all guns and weapons from their marital residence. these court documents going back to 2008. the protection order requested by the family was temporarily granted. that is where we leave off. the associated press finding these documents and we're getting at least a little bit of an idea of how this man was. again he was found dead inside of the movie theater after taking his own life. police have looked through a motel 6 in the area where disguises were found. there is a lot of question about the motivation as there always is in these mass shootings. we're learn learning little bit about this man john russel houser and questions about his mental state and violence against his family. as we get more information we'll bring it to you. jon: right now some crime stories we're following. four months after a knife-wielding man attacked him leaving gashes to his face and his arms,

police say the gunman john houser was a drifter. they also say surveillance video shows the 59-year-old walking into the theater to buy a ticket but they say he didn't display behavior that would sound an alarm. houser shot and killed two people and injured nine others before turning the gun on himself. >> nbc 10 security expert is an assistant professor of criminal justice studies at pierce college. he has nearly 15 years experience in the military law enforcement and as an intelligence specialist and defense contractor. >> he joins us live in the digital operations center. bob, this is the second deadly shooting inside a movie theater. should there be extra security measures inside those theaters? >> i don't know if necessarily there should be extra security measures. i advocate for having consistency of emergency action plans and in addition to that possibly metal detectors throughout the united states. >> we found out a woman inside that theater pulled a fire alarm to get people out. experts say she probably ended up saving live

houser to please contact law enforcement. our crime scene technicians worked throughout the night to process the scene. as you can imagine, it's pretty horrific. it's a large area to process for physical evidence. a lot of people upon exiting the theater left a lot of possessions behind. so we recovered keys and purses and shoes and whatnot. so, we are l working inside the theater. crime scene is still doing some work in there. the theater has been made safe, there are no devices, we haven't detected any devices. we have not found that mr. houser was working with anyone or associated with anyone. we haven't had any other threats at any other theaters. for now, this theater is closed until we can do all of the work we need to do here to try to piece together what happen. we will continue to update you throughout the day with any information that we come up with, any additional information that we come with. i want to turn it over to kernel mike edmondson with the louisiana state police to give a recap of his office's involveme

ryan what more did police really uncover now in houser's hotel room? >> reporter: kate a lot has happened here today in lafayette. this building behind me no longer an active crime scene. the owners have control of it. police tell us they hope to open very soon and the investigation into the attack that happened here continues. a chilling picture is emerging about the man who opened fire in the grand theater in lafayette, louisiana. surveillance footage obtained by cbs news shows the shooter at his motel just moments before he left to attend the 7:00 showing of the movie "train wreck." it was there he sat in the back row, waited some 20 minutes until the previews ended. that's when he began shooting killing two women and wounding nine others. >> this man was certainly of a sound mind because, you know what he wrote it down. he said he's coming to this movie theater at 7:15 on thursday night. >> reporter: it was in a room in this motel 6 just a few miles from the theater where houser documented his planned attack in a secret diary. he left his hotel roo