[VIDEO] Lafayette movie theater shooting: Injury count increases to 9

Including the gunman, a total of 12 people were shot at The Grand Theatre in Lafayette on Thursday night (July 23), officials said as they revised the number of injured from seven to nine.

Three people died in the shooting, including the shooter, who police say died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police are not yet publicly identifying the shooter, who was described as a 58-year-old white male. Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft, speaking at a news conference at about 1:45 a.m. Friday, said investigators have multiple addresses for the suspect -- including in different states -- and are working to follow up on all of those leads.

Craft provided more details early Friday about how the series of events unfolded. Witnesses told police the shooter was "seated in the theater just like everybody else," apparently watching the comedy "Trainwreck" with the rest of the audience, when he stood up and started shooting with a semi-automatic handgun. The first two people he shot were directly in front of him, Craft said.

Two police officers were very close to the theater and were able to respond to the chaotic scene in less than a minute, Craft said. The officers entered the theater as a stream of theatergoers fled. As the officers entered, they heard a single gunshot, which was the suspect shooting himself. He may have seen the police coming, Craft said.

Officials found suspicious packages in the suspect's car and inside the theater, but after detonating them, determined they weren't anything of significance.

Officers are now continuing the lengthy work of processing the crime scene, which could take four to six hours, Craft said. Many people left shoes, purses and other items behind as they fled. 

Bodies of two of the people who died remained inside the theater as of about 1:45 a.m. The third person died at a hospital, Craft said.

Police spent much of Thursday night interviewing dozens of witnesses. Though they had left by early Friday morning, many of their cars remained in the theater's parking lot. Craft said officials plan to do follow-up interviews with the witnesses on Friday, and also hope to speak with those who had been injured.

The next update from police is expected at about 6 to 6:30 a.m. Friday.

Via: NOLA

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Vulnerable Dem Sen. Mary Landrieu Hands GOP Challenger A Gift: “I Would Vote Again” For Obamacare, “I Am For The Affordable Care Act. Period. End.”…

Losing the argument and running out of ideas, Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu resorts to a tactic that worked wonderfully for President Obama.

As reported in Politico by Manu Raju:

“I would vote again for the Affordable Care Act. I’m for the Affordable Care Act. Period. End,” Landrieu said in a recent interview.

Evidently, as a rhetorical device, that “period” business isn’t really sufficient.  Tarnished, no doubt, by recent usage by the president.  Hence the “end.”

And if that doesn’t work.  Perhaps she should try shouting a little louder.

Via: Weekly Standard

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Zero Enroll in New LA Plan on Obamacare’s First Day

Louisiana’s top health-insurance provider said that not a single person enrolled in a new health-care plan offered through the Affordable Care Act on its first day.

An executive with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana told the Times-Picayunethat the agency was unable to sell the plan because customers were unable to access the HealthCare.gov website due to its website’s sluggishness. “It was not as intense as we had anticipated,” the company’s vice president of communication said of the company’s sales. He urged supporters and critics, however, to “take a deep breath and relax” and assured them that the website would eventually allow consumers to enroll in a plan.

According to the newspaper, the company spent $60 million in preparation of the October 1 rollout, but the website continued to stall on the day of its rollout. One interested applicant spent five hours trying to get onto the site, but eventually resorted to calling a customer-service representative and was told she would receive plan options via e-mail.

The other Louisiana companies offering plans available through the Affordable Care Act said they are still waiting on numbers from the program’s first day.

Via: National Review Online

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OBAMA CAMPAIGNS AS RED STATE DROWNS; SEVEN RALLIES BEFORE LOUISIANA VISIT

As you all probably know by now, as of this morning, President Obama had no scheduled plans to visit Louisiana -- the state hit hardest by Hurricane Isaac. That is, until newly minted GOP nominee Mitt Romney announced immediately after his convention that he would visit the storm-ravaged area. Romney's there now as I write this and not long after his trip was announced, liked a jilted suitor on the chase, President Obama announced he would squeeze in some time for a similar visit.  

Obama obviously didn’t care about visiting Louisiana because it can do nothing to help his reelection bid. Obama is nothing if not mercenary when it comes to holding on to power, so why visit a state stupid, racist, and misguided enough to give Romney all of its electoral votes.

But as he's done for the last 20 days; today, Romney out-flanked Obama, announced his visit, and forced Obama into a defensive crouch where he had to change his selfish plans.

Bottom line: This morning, Mitt Romney led and President Empty Chair was forced to follow.

And it's a beautiful thing.

But why doesn’t Obama visit right away? Today? There's no doubt a presidential visit would put a spotlight on the disaster, which in turn would likely boost donations to the Red Cross when those donations are needed most.

Answer: You remember that whole mercenary thing I mentioned earlier about Obama? Here's the president's schedule as of now -- here's a look at President FailureTeleprompter's priorities during and after a storm the took lives:

Tuesday 8/28: “Obama To Discuss Cost Of Education During Fort Collins Visit At CSU”

Tuesday 8/28: “Obama Reaches Out To Students In Ames [IA].”

Wednesday: 8/29:  “In Charlottesville [VA], Obama Makes Appeal To Young Voters.”

Friday 8/31: “Texas Bound” -- To be fair to the president, this is an official visit with the troops marking the two-year anniversary of the end of the war in Iraq. How fortunate for Obama this opportunity arises to play Commander-in-Chief the very day after  the close of the GOP convention.

Saturday 9/1: Iowa again for a campaign stop.

Sunday 9/2:  Campaign stop in Colorado.

Monday 9/3:  Campaign event in Ohio.

Until FINALLY….

Via: Breitbart

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