Editing Lafayette, Louisiana (section)

=== Growth and consolidation ===
By 1898, the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]] was established in the city as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. It opened in 1901, and changed its name to the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-12-20|title=The University|url=https://louisiana.edu/about-us/history/university|access-date=2021-07-31|website=University of Louisiana at Lafayette|language=en}}</ref> The university's current name was chosen in 1999.

In the 1940s, after oil was discovered in the parish, the petroleum and natural gas industries expanded to dominate the economy. By 2018, Lafayette had the highest number of [[Oil and gas law in the United States|oil and natural gas]] industry workers in the state.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=2018-05-08|title=Louisiana's Oil and Natural Gas Insutry – Still the Foundation of Lafayette's Economy|url=https://growlouisianacoalition.com/lafayette/|access-date=2021-07-31|publisher=Grow Louisiana Coalition|language=en-US}}</ref>

Since the latter half of the 20th century, Lafayette has hosted the [[Festivals Acadiens et Créoles]], and was candidate as site for the [[New Orleans Pelicans]] [[NBA G League]] team in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Magee|first=Patrick|date=April 7, 2017|title=As Pelicans eye Gulfport, can the NBA D-League work on the Coast?|url=https://www.sunherald.com/sports/nba/article143192469.html|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=SunHerald|publisher=McClatchy}}</ref>

In 1996, the city and parish consolidated;<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|last=Daily|first=Geoff|date=2020-11-09|title=COLUMN: The city of Lafayette is trapped in consolidated government|url=https://thecurrentla.com/2020/column-the-city-is-trapped-in-consolidated-government/|access-date=2021-07-31|website=The Current|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Taylor|first=Claire|title=Deconsolidation still leaves Lafayette parish broke, former charter commissioners predict|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/article_791ab3da-9182-11eb-ae01-eb07d70f591b.html|access-date=2021-07-31|website=The Acadiana Advocate|publisher=The Advocate|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Maloyed|first=Christie|date=2018-12-05|title=Consolidation was about money. Fixing it is about democracy.|url=https://thecurrentla.com/2018/consolidation-was-about-money-fixing-it-is-about-democracy/|access-date=2021-07-31|website=The Current|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pierce|first=Walter|title='Consolidation' Remains Our Achilles Heel|url=http://theind.com/article-permalink-19812.html|access-date=2021-02-22|website=The Independent| date=3 January 2015 |language=en}}</ref> the governments of the city and parish were merged, though five other incorporated municipalities continued to operate with their own municipal governments and departments. Since the beginning of the 21st century, a committee proposed the deconsolidation of the city and parish.<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Taylor|first=Claire|title=Lafayette committee ends work recommending charter commission, deconsolidation|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/article_9c5038bc-eb18-11eb-88ae-e7fc709e8df5.html|access-date=2021-07-31|website=The Acadiana Advocate|publisher=The Advocate|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":21">{{Cite web|last=Capps|first=Andrew|title=Lafayette Parish Council escalates deconsolidation fight with new commission|url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2021/07/01/lafayette-parish-council-escalates-deconsolidation-fight-new-commission/7821780002/|access-date=2021-07-31|website=The Daily Advertiser|publisher=Gannett|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Auzenne|first=Ian|title=Lafayette Parish Council Creates Council to Review Consolidation|url=https://kpel965.com/lafayette-parish-council-creates-council-to-review-consolidation/|access-date=2021-07-31|website=KPEL 96.5|publisher=Town Square Publications|language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, the city of Lafayette gained international attention for a [[2015 Lafayette shooting|mass shooting and murder-suicide at Grand 16 Theater]];<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-07-24|title=Louisiana cinema shooting: Lafayette gunman 'had violent past'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33654509|access-date=2021-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Shapiro|first1=Emily|last2=Liddy|first2=Tom|date=2015-07-24|title=Lafayette, Louisiana, Movie Theater Gunman Was 'Intent on Shooting and Escaping'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/lafayette-louisiana-movie-theater-gunman-idd-john-russel/story?id=32653062|access-date=2021-11-21|website=ABC News|publisher=American Broadcasting Corporation|language=en}}</ref> this mass shooting spurred further discussion and debate on [[Gun politics in the United States|gun control in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Crilly|first=Rob|date=2015-07-24|title=Two dead in cinema shooting as Obama says he was stymied on gun control|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11761213/Two-dead-in-cinema-shooting-as-Obama-says-he-was-stymied-on-gun-control.html|access-date=2021-11-21|website=The Telegraph}}</ref> During 2015, the Lafayette metropolitan area also overtook the [[Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area]] by population, becoming Louisiana's third largest metropolitan region.<ref name=":182">{{Cite web |last=Goff |first=Jessica |title=Lafayette now third largest metro area in the state |url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/money/business/2015/01/31/lafayette-now-third-largest-metro-area-state/22612385/ |access-date=2021-02-22 |website=The Daily Advertiser |publisher=Gannett |language=en-US}}</ref>