Walking Dead's Lauren Ridloff and husband Douglas experience horrific incident in Italy

Walking Dead and Eternals actress Lauren Ridloff and her husband Douglas posted on social media about their experience during a shooting in Italy. According to Entertainment Weekly, while the couple attended the Deaf International Festival on Sunday, July 14, shots were fired at the Ariston Hotel.

According to Douglas, the couple was escorted out of the hotel's auditorium by Ridloff's security detail, who acted quickly to ensure their safety. The shooting occurred just two performances after Douglas was featured on stage to perform a poetry piece. Luckily, the couple was seated near an exit, aiding security in their quick removal from the auditorium.

Both praised their security team for the quick action, and Ridloff stated she is "eternally grateful" to the team. Ridloff recounted her experience in an Instagram post: "The panic and chaos that descended in the packed theater-indescribable." The image (below) features the Ridloffs in the front row enjoying the performances just minutes before the shooting began.

Douglas also posted a more detailed account of what they experienced on Instagram stating they were fortunate to be near the exit. He shared that they were terrified as they waited in a dark, closed off area as security continued to scour the area to ensure they were safe.

The Deaf International Festival is hosted by the Deaf International Party and, according to Douglas, is an event that is organized to "bring joy and unity to the international deaf community."

Now, the event has been eclipsed by a horrific incident that has seriously injured three individuals (one of which was in critical condition) and traumatized many more. According to Il Mattino, a violent quarrel began between the three members of the Deaf Bones Motorcycle group and two brothers. One of the brothers pulled out a gun and began firing upon the three individuals, resulting in their serious injuries. According to the report, thirteen 9mm shots were fired. At the time the article was printed, the manhunt was still underway.

Ridloff is a deaf actress well-known for her role as Connie in The Walking Dead and as Makkari, the first deaf superhero in the MCU, featured in the movie Eternals.

Douglas Ridloff is a poet and visual storyteller who creates original works in American Sign Language (ASL). He also works as an ASL consultant in movies and TV, which includes A Quiet Place 1 & 2, Marvel’s Eternals, Saturday Night Live, Hawkeye, Only Murders in the Building, and Marvel's Echo.