Police Identify Man Killed After Hatchet Attack In Theater Outside Nashville

Police have identified the man that they say attacked a movie theater outside of Nashville on Wednesday afternoon.

Vincente David Montano, 29, is the man who entered Carmike Hickory 8 in Antioch, Tennessee with pepper spray, a hatchet and a pellet gun wearing a surgical mask, and who authorities say pepper-sprayed the theater before being shot dead when he drew the gun on officers.

Neighbors reportedly told police that Montano had a history of mental illness. In 2004, he was arrested for assault on an officer and resisting arrest.

Officers initially responded to reports of shots fired at the theater at 1:15 p.m. local time. Metro Nashville police tweeted that he had died at 2:07 p.m.

Police initially identified the suspect as a 51-year-old man but later revealed it to be Montano.

The department also later clarified on Twitter that Montano was carrying an airsoft pellet gun and not a deadly pistol:

Montano bought a ticket for a showing of Mad Max: Fury Road, police said. Officers entered the theater through a back door and met Montano.

Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson said an officer “saw a gun come up, (and) he saw a trigger about to be pulled,” according to The Tennessean.

“When he came at them in a threatening manner, they opened fire and the suspect is deceased,” Anderson said.

Montano was also carrying two backpacks, which were detonated by police after the theater had been evacuated to make sure they did not contain explosives.

Three people received treatment for injuries related to the pepper spray, with one suffering minor injuries from the hatchet. But there were otherwise no major injuries or deaths aside from the attacker.

Image via Metro Nashville PD