Terror at Southwest Side Theater, as Gunman, Patron Shot in Lobby [legal gun owner stopped shooter]

radio.woai.com ^ | December 17, 2012 | Jim Forsyth

Two people are hospitalized after a gunman chased terrified restaurant patrons into the lobby of the Santikos Mayan 14 movie theater during a showing of "The Hobbit" last night, 1200 WOAI news reprots.
Police detectives and sheriff's investigators say the incident started in the China Garden Restaurant on Southwest Military Drive about 9 PM Sunday, when an employee of the restaurant walked in looking for a woman.
When the woman, who officials say is also a restaurant employee, wasn't there, the man pulled a gun and attempted to open fire in the restaurant but his weapon jammed.
"It started at the restaurant and then went into the parking lot and then into the movie theater," Deputy Lou Antu told 1200 WOAI news.
Investigators say some of the terrified restaurant patrons poured into the movie theater, and the gunman followed.
He opened fire, shooting one man in the chest, before Antu says an off duty sheriff's deputy who was working security at the theater shot him once.
"The officer involved, she took the appropriate action to try to keep everyone safe in the movie theater," Antu said.
The gunman and the patron are hospitalized.
Antu says the gunman never made it into the theater itself, thanks largely to the heroic work of the off duty deputy.
"She did what she felt she had to do," Antu said. "I feel that she saved a lot of lives by taking the action she had to take."
Antu said the gunman, if he survives, will probably face a charge of attempted capital murder, for shooting at the San Antonio police car on Southwest Military Drive as he ran from the restaurant to the theater.
Officials didn't know what the relationship was between the gunman and the woman in the restaurant, or what his motivation was for the shooting.
Neither of the police officers involved, the officer driving the San Antonio Poilce car, or the off duty deputy in the theater, were hurt, Antu said.