Movie theater gunman identified as drifter from Alabama

Police on Friday confirmed that the suspect gunman of the movie theater in Lafayette, a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, was John Russell Houser, 59, calling the shooter was a lone "drifter" from the state of Alabama.

Louisiana state police authorities said that Houser was in a volatile mental state and his wife reportedly removed guns from their home several years ago because of his mental health issues, reported ABC 13, a local TV service based in Houston, Texas.

Gunfire broke out at the Grand Theater, where about 100 people were watching the film "Trainwreck" at 7 p.m. local time Thursday. Two women were killed and nine others were injured in the rampage.

The shooting suspect allegedly stood up about 20 minutes into the movie and fired first at two people sitting in front of him, then aimed his handgun at others, firing at least 13 shots, reported the TV news reports, quoting the police authorities.

The gunman, who arrived in Lafayette early this month and bunked down in a hotel several kilometers from the theater, tried to escape with the crowd after the shooting but failed to do so as the police arrived at the scene almost immediately. He was forced back into the theater before shooting to kill himself.

Early Friday, about a dozen of law enforcement personnel were seen at the Lafayette motel where Houser stayed before the shooting, a bomb squad swept the room before entering as a precaution.

Police found articles including wigs and glasses in his motel room.

The victims' ages ranged from late teens to 60s, and some of the injured were in critical condition.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who is visiting Kenya, had asked his team to keep him informed of the development of the investigation and the status of those wounded. Endite