Shooting in 'Christmas Capital of Texas' leaves 7 dead

GRAPEVINE, Texas - Reuters

AFP photo

Police in a Dallas suburb dubbed the "Christmas Capital of Texas" searched for clues today to explain the apparent murder-suicide rampage that left seven people shot dead among unwrapped holiday presents.

The dead - four women and three men, one of them believed to be the gunman - were found late yesterday morning in an apartment living room in the town of Grapevine by police answering a voiceless 911 emergency call, authorities said.

Two pistols were recovered from the home, said Serg. Robert Eberling of the Grapevine police department, who called it a "gruesome crime scene" and the worst outburst of gun violence in the town's history.

Circumstances of the shooting remained sketchy, but Eberling said it appeared as though the bloodbath unfolded during a family holiday celebration as one man opened fire on six other people in the apartment, then killed himself.

No one was found alive by police arriving at the home, he said.

A community of about 46,000 people some 20 miles northwest of downtown Dallas, Grapevine is known for its wine-tasting salons and was recently proclaimed by the state Senate as the "Christmas Capital of Texas" for its abundance of annual holiday-season events.

"This is obviously a terrible tragedy," Mayor William Tate said Sunday night in a statement given to Reuters. "The fact that it happened on Christmas makes it even more tragic. This appears to be a family situation and anyone who has a family will be incredibly saddened by that happened."

Voiceless 911 call

Police dispatched at about 11:30 a.m. local time on Sunday found the bodies in the first-floor living room of a two-story unit in the Lincoln Vineyards apartments, police said.

The 911 caller never spoke to police, and officers did not see the telephone when they arrived, officials said. Eberling said he believed police had to kick in the door to enter. No neighbors reported hearing gunshots, he said.

Eberling said the victims appeared to have just opened Christmas presents when the shooting started, and there was no visible sign of forced entry or a struggle.