La. gunman's final hours before rampage captured on video
LAFAYETTE, La. --The video shows a Lincoln Town Car leaving the Motel 6 in Lafayette, La. Authorities say that vehicle belonged to John Houser, the man who opened fire inside the Grand Movie Theater.
Hotel officials say John Houser parked his Lincoln Town Car in a stall on the backside of the hotel every night that he was there. It just so happened to be right in front of his hotel room door, number 129.
The film, "Trainwreck," started at 7:15 p.m. Surveillance footage shows Houser's car leaving the motel at 6:41 p.m. It was only four miles to the theater.
Inside the room, it's a mess -- bottles of alcohol, clothes all over and the TV still on.
Police said they found a wig and glasses here they believe Houser used as a disguise.
"We know him to have been in other movie theaters across south Louisiana, probably Lake Charles, here in Lafayette and in Baton Rouge," said Michael Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. "Disguised in a wig in Baton Rouge because somebody said we saw him and we felt so uncomfortable we left."
The 59-year-old drifter made a $100 deposit when he checked into the motel on July 3. 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 said Houser was polite and unremarkable. Never threatening, rude or problematic.
"Nothing like that, nope," said Vikas Patel. "He minded his own business. He did what he had to do and that's basically it."
Investigators will re-enter the movie theater on Monday. 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 reloading.
"Ten rounds went off, when I realized," she said. "You know sixth or seventh round, I drop and I'm looking at him, I'm like -- because I know guns, I said he's reloading. So I scream to everybody, 'he's reloading get the hell out of here now.'"
Nicole says the gunman never said a word, and walked casually as he shot randomly. The mother of three had time to reflect on just how close she came to being a victim.
"I was sitting there, so had I not been back, the way he was aiming, my head, my neck, my heart were exposed to him," she said. "So statistically I shouldn't be sitting here. I'm here today by the grace of God."
Nicole said her greatest fear was that the gunman was going to follow her and others into the lobby, which at that time was packed with children. Instead, police said the gunman went for an emergency exit, saw a police officer, and then decided to take his own life.