TEXAS, US: Seven people were fatally shot at a Plano home Sunday evening, and their attacker was killed by a police officer.
Authorities were called to the home in the 1700 block of West Spring Creek Parkway, near Custer Road, about 8 p.m. after gunshots were reported.
A nearby officer responded and heard more gunfire as he arrived.
“He made entry, and that’s when he observed several victims inside and then engaged the suspect,” police spokesman David Tilley said.
The officer fatally shot the gunman, whose name has not been released. The officer was not hurt.
The victims, who also have not been publicly identified, were all adults. They had been watching the Dallas Cowboys when the violence began, neighbors said.
“I’ve been here all my life,” Tilley said. “I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
Two other people at the home were hospitalized; their conditions were not known.
A neighbour said a friend of one of the homeowners said the violence had been sparked by a domestic dispute, but police have provided no details about the relationships between the victims and the gunman. The couple identified in public records as the homeowners sought a divorce in July.
One man approached a neighbour at the scene, asking for the address where the killings happened. When he was told, he doubled over in agony.
“I’m friends with probably everyone that was in that house,” he said, explaining that there had been a Cowboys watch party there.
As he talked to officers, he doubled over again. A few minutes later, he sprinted to his car and drove away.
Neighbor Lauryn Nichols said she had a friend who’d been in the house and she didn’t know what had happened to the person.
“I’m worried,” she said. “It’s like one big family here.”
Another neighbour, Stacey Glover, said the party had started early in the afternoon and she’d seen people laughing and grilling outside.
She heard shots about 8 p.m., opened her door and smelled gunpowder. When police arrived, she heard them yelling, “Hands up” before more shots rang out.
“My heart is still beating like a million miles per hour,” she said. “I know I’m not going to sleep tonight.”
More than three dozen police vehicles were still at the home hours later. The Texas Rangers were also investigating the shootings because an officer had been involved. (agencies)
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