See for yourself: Cryptic phrases, 'Trainwreck' mentions in Lafayette theater shooter's journal
On the final page of his rambling 39-page journal, John “Rusty” Houser wrote the movie title “Trainwreck” and then a cryptic phrase: “My choice is clear for anyone that is a leader. If you see the truth, you know what is to come.”
The journal, discovered by investigators after Houser killed 2 people and injured 9 the Grand 16 Theater in July before taking his own life, was released by the Lafayette Police Department Wednesday.
Police also released a 589-page report by investigators and photographs of Houser’s motel room. Characterized by a police at the time as a “drifter” from Alabama and Georgia, Houser stayed at a Lafayette motel before the shooting.
After the shooting, Houser’s acquaintances described him as volatile and sometimes violent. Southern Poverty Law Center reviewed his online posts, finding extremist views, from celebrating white supremacist David Duke and Oklahoma city bomber Timothy McVeigh to penning anti-Semitic messages.
His own writings, which begin with the title “Random Thoughts,” offers few clues about Houser’s motivations, never mentions why he traveled to Lafayette from his home in Georgia and makes only one reference to the theater: the title of the movie he walked into with a pistol at 7:20 p.m. on July 23.
The journal itself is a collection of seemingly random observations and notes, ranging from his favorite movies and bands to and often angry observations about the state of American society.
“America is in the midst of celebrating filth and as such they are the enemy,” he wrote.
He touches on minorities, liberals, the news media, the role and capabilities of women, homosexuals and Donald Trump, occasionally offering phrases that seem eerily prophetic, considering his ultimate act:
“It would be impossible to have enough metal detectors, have a large enough military force, etc. ... to fight the might of right. America most go boldly into reverse.”
Read more of this story at The New Orleans Advocate's website.
Lafayette theatershooter's Journal
This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 4:46 PM with the headline "See for yourself: Cryptic phrases, 'Trainwreck' mentions in Lafayette theater shooter's journal."