Judd Apatow issued a somber statement on Friday, July 24, addressing Thursday’s tragic Louisiana movie theater shooting, in which John Russell Houser opened fire during a screening of Apatow’s new film Trainwreck.
“One of the reasons we make these movies is because the world can be so horrifying and we all need to laugh just to deal with it,” the Knocked Up director said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “So to have this happen in a room where people were smiling and laughing devastates me.”
“My thoughts and love go out to the victims and anyone touched by this madness or any madness,” he continued. “We, as a country, need to find a way to do better.”
Apatow, 47, is letting his sentiments be known alongside Trainwreck star Amy Schumer, who tweeted in reaction to the news late Thursday evening.
“My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana,” the comedienne wrote.
According to local media reports, 59-year-old Houser opened fire in the crowded Grand Theatre in Lafayette, La., around 7:30 p.m., about 20 minutes into the film, killing two people and injuring nine others. He later turned his .40-caliber handgun on himself.
Universal Pictures, which distributed the film, also released a statement early Friday offering their condolences.
“All of us at Universal Pictures send our heartfelt sympathies to the victims of this senseless tragedy and their families in Louisiana,” the studio said.
The incident comes less than a week after James Holmes was found guilty of first-degree murder for opening fire in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater during a 2012 screening of The Dark Knight Rises, killing 12 people and injuring more than 70 others.
Authorities are currently investigating a motive behind this most recent shooting.
