NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The suspect responsible for an attack at a movie theater in Antioch had a history of psychological issues, according to police.
Officials with Metro Police said 29-year-old Vincente David Montano, of Nashville, walked into the Carmike 8 movie theater Wednesday afternoon and attacked moviegoers with chemical spray. He also allegedly attacked a man, identified as “Steven,” with a hatchet.
Police Identify Suspect Killed In Shooting At Antioch Theater
An officer responded and fired at the suspect after he pulled out a weapon, which later turned out to be an airsoft pistol.
SWAT teams reported to the theater, which had been filled with pepper spray. At some point, Montano ran out of the theater with the ax towards officers, and he was shot dead.
Authorities said Montano was arrested in Murfreesboro in 2004 for assault and resisting arrest.
Officials said Montano was known to have psychiatric issues, and he had allegedly been committed four times, twice in 2004 to TriStar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion Mental Health Clinic in Nashville and twice in 2007 to a different facility.
Montano was reported missing Monday by his mother, Denise Pruett. According to a report, she said she had not seen him since March 2013.
The report also said that in May 2015, authorities in Texas contacted her and said she needed to file a missing persons report in Murfreesboro.
According to a spokesperson for the Texas Rangers, Montano’s mother reached out to them in May when she was seeking to find her son. She found out unidentified remains were discovered in the Houston area, his last known whereabouts.
The remains were not those of her son, and the Texas Rangers told her to file the missing persons report in Murfreesboro.
In the report, his mother told police Montano had been diagnosed by a Murfreesboro doctor with paranoid schizophrenia in April 2006, and she also said she had not seen Montano since March 2013.
The report went on to say that Pruett brought with her a copy of a Tennessee identification card for Montano that listed an address for Nashville Rescue a homeless shelter. It listed his address as "homeless" and said he "has a hard time taking care of himself."
Montano's mother told police her son had thoughts of suicide as well as homicide, and that he was hearing voices, telling him to do things.
Officers wrote Montano was very destructive and breaking things in the house.
In another report police wrote he was schizophrenic and was upset because his mother would not give him his medication, and that she could no longer deal with his mental instability.
On one visit, police wrote Montano threatened an officer with a fork.
"I was always worried about my mother's safety because she was there by herself," said Doretha Cummings, who lived next door to Montano and his mother for more than a decade in Murfreesboro before the Montano's moved away.
She kept her distance.
"I didn't really talk to him because you could tell there was something there. Something was really wrong," said Cummings.
Cummings said the police paid the home constant visits.
"I'd say two to three times a week sometimes," said Cummings.
But she said there were also calm times when Montano liked to work on his car or dote on his pet cat.
Also his mother was there always trying to help.
Cummings was stunned to learn of his involvement in Antioch.
"It sent chills, just chills throughout my whole body," said Cummings.
Montano was believed to be jobless and homeless.
Authorities said he was at the Nashville Rescue May 6 and August 3 and 4. They said they have records of him being there, but they did not have records of his spending the night.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
