(Facebook)
Police have identified a second victim in John Russell Houser’s shooting spree at the Grand 16 theater as 33-year-old Jillian Johnson. Houser, who authorities said was living in a hotel outside of Lafayette Louisiana, opened fire during a showing of Trainwreck on Thursday night. Houser took his own life at the scene, while a second victim, 21-year-old Mayci Breaux was also killed. Johnson died later at a local hospital.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Johnson Had Been Married Since 2013
(Facebook)
According to her Facebook page, Johnson and Jason Brown had been married since April 9, 2013. Brown, a fellow Louisiana native, studied journalism at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, graduating in 2005. He had previously worked as the cops and courts reporter for The Advocate from 2008 to 2012.
She posted this photo to her page after three months of marriage:
After news broke that Johnson had been identified as one of the victims of the shooting, her Facebook page became a memorial of sorts as posts and messages came pouring in to honor her memory.
2. She & Her Husband Owned Red Arrow Workshop
(Facebook)
The couple opened their first store in August 2012, in Lafayette’s River Ranch area. It features a collection of “hip, well-designed items” along with goods the pair has made themselves and items made in Louisiana. According to the website, the store features products that “reflect our ongoing commitment to sustainable living and beautiful design.”
Last fall, Jason and Jillian decided to expand their retail endeavors to a second store, opening a store on Magazine Street in New Orleans, featuring a full selection of Red Arrow goods.
3. Johnson Described Herself as a ‘Sentimental Hoarder & Uptight Minimalist’
(Facebook)
According to her “important things to know page” on her store’s website, Johnson was a little bit eccentric but in a way that also made her more than just a little bit endearing.
In addition to her self-described hoarder tendencies, Johnson also wrote that she is obsessed with Fats Waller, Tina Turner and John Steinbeck and that she’s not a big fan of ice cream. Her friends and family, flooding her Facebook wall on Friday morning with memories and sentiments, called Johnson “a beautiful, confident, statuesque woman” as well as an “extremely talented artist and musician.”
4. Johnson Also Worked on the Louisiana Flea Market Circuit
(Facebook)
Although she and Brown operated two standalone stores, they also worked regularly on the flea market circuit throughout Louisiana.
In addition to Red Arrow, Johnson helped create Parish Ink, which designed and sold t-shirts as well as operating her own Etsy shop that could ship goods from both creative endeavors across the country. She also worked regularly with her older brother Bram, who helped design the apparel that Parish Ink produced and sold.
5. She Graduated from a Nashville, Tennessee High School
(Facebook)
Although Johnson had lived in Lafayette for years and built a life for herself there, she had also spent time in Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from Hillwood High School in 2000 and earned her B.F.A in fine arts from the Univeristy of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Johnson was incredibly proud of her Louisiana roots and frequently used the design of the state in her own work. As social media posts began to pour in honoring Johnson, this “Louisiana Power” banner was frequently mentioned. In fact, it’s the same banner and design that can be seen in the background of Johnson and Brown’s wedding photos as well.
Lafayette is about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal called the shooting “an awful night for Lafayette, this is an awful night for Louisiana, this is an awful night for the United States. But we will get through this.”
