Louisiana Theater Shooter John Russell Houser Pegged as Right Wing Nut, Legally Barred from Weapons Ownership in at Least One County

What kind of man was John Russell Houser, beyond being the sort of monstrously evil shithead who would begin shooting a bunch of defenseless strangers in a movie theater? Apparently one with anti-Obama, right-wing-y, Nazi-sympathizing, talk radio call in nut, con-theoryish opinions who was a bad risk for landlords.

Yahoo! News with a bunch of details:

In 2008, Houser's wife, Kellie Maddox Houser, and other family members requested a protective order from him.

According to court documents, obtained by the Associated Press, he "exhibited extreme erratic behavior and has made ominous as well as disturbing statements."

The filing said Houser had "a history of mental health issues, i.e., manic depression and/or bi-polar disorder."

His wife also removed all weapons from their home because she feared his "volatile mental state," according to the paperwork…..

Houser had been arrested several times from 10 to 15 years ago on various charges, including arson, selling alcohol to a minor and speeding, according to the AP.

Jim Mustian, a journalist for the New Orleans Advocate, citing a local sheriff, said that Houser was denied a pistol permit in 2006 in Russell County, Ala…..

He appeared on "Calvin Floyd Live," previously called "Rise and Shine," on WLTZ NBC 38 in more than 60 episodes, according to the LinkedIn page. 

"Invited political controversy on every one of them, and loved every minute of it," he said.

The show's host, Floyd, told Yahoo News that he invited Houser on his show many times to discuss his radical views because it was entertaining and caused tremendous buzz. 

"He was a guest because he was good TV entertainment, not because it was a respected opinion that he had to say. But he was very entertaining all the time," Floyd said in a phone interview with Yahoo news. "He had Tea Party-radical Republican views on everything. I'd have a Democratic spokesperson on [for the opposing perspective]. He generated a lot of phone calls."

Houser was a member of Tea Party Nation,.

The Hatewatch Blog, which is run by the Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, uncovered that Houser posted about his fondness for Hitler, neo-Nazis and lone wolves on several online forums.

More Houseriana from the Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and NBC News (who note that he was known to fly a Nazi flag over a bar he owned in Georgia shut down over alcohol code violations).

It should go without saying that Houser's individual act of vile perfidy using a likely illegally obtained weapon says nothing meaningful about the threat represented by others who might share his political opinions, his crumminess as a tenant, gripes against local Alcohol Beverage Control officials, or even his "history of mental illness," or the threat posed or legal measures to be considered against other gun owners (legal or illegal!).

But I bet you might find many occasions in cocktail party conversations and social network comment threads to have to say so.