A man armed with a hatchet and pellet gun who attacked moviegoers with pepper spray at a Tennessee theater Wednesday before being fatally shot by police had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, NBC News reported.
The attacker, identified as Vincente David Montano, of Nashville, was reported missing to Murfreesboro police on Aug. 3, according to police documents. Montano’s mother told police when making the report that the 29-year-old was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2006, and had a hard time taking care of himself.
Montano wore a surgical mask as he unleashed a volley of pepper spray at audience members during a screening of “Mad Max: Fury Road," at the Carmike Hickory 8 theater in the suburb of Antioch shortly before 1:15 p.m. local time (2:15 p.m. ET).
None of those who were attacked suffered serious injuries. Montano was shot dead by SWAT officers as he tried to escape the theater through a back door.
