Suspect in latest theater attack had been committed four times
The suspect in an ax attack at a Nashville movie theater on Wednesday had been committed for psychiatric treatment at least four times, police say.
The suspect, Vincente David Montano, 29, was shot and killed by police after firing his pellet gun at officers and advancing toward them with an ax, according to Metro Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron. The Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune have stories. A press release is here.
Witnesses alerted police at the site of a nearby car crash after Montano attacked theater goers, cutting one man on the shoulder with his ax and attacking the man’s wife and daughter with pepper spray, police said.
Police believed the pellet gun was a real gun, according to Aaron. The first officer to respond fired at Montano after the suspect fired the pellet gun at him. Montano began using pepper spray and fired his pellet gun again when additional officers arrived, spurring the officers to fire back. Officers opened fire again when Montano advanced toward the officers holding an ax.
Police detonated one of Montano’s backpacks, which turned out to have a fake bomb inside.
Montana was believed to be homeless and had been committed for psychiatric treatment twice in 2004 and twice in 2007. He was arrested in 2004 in Tennessee for assault and resisting arrest, Aaron said.
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