Three killed, including gunman, in shooting outside Texas A&M University

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Published time: August 13, 2012 18:26
Edited time: August 14, 2012 10:12

Police say one law enforcement officer and one civilian have died during a shooting outside the Texas A&M University Campus. The gunman was also killed at the scene.

Three other law enforcement officers and another civilian were also injured in the shooting, a College Station Police Department statement said. 

The shooter has been identified as 35-year-old Thomas Caffall. 

Police established a perimeter soon after the shooting, but do believe that there was a second shooter, Bryan police department spokesperson Jon Agnew said.

The officer that was shot dead was  Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann, who reportedly went to the area to serve eviction papers. Police then received a call that an officer was down.

They rushed to the scene, and police officers and the gunman exchanged gunfire over a period of approximately 30 minutes, until the shooter was shot by the police. He was taken into custody, and was soon pronounced dead. A 43-year-old bystander was apparently also killed during the gunfight. Earlier police reports said the civilian victim was 65 years old.

Earlier reports also suggested that the shooter was firing automatic weapons from inside a house close to the campus.

A Code Maroon warning was posted on the university's website at 12:30 pm local time (07:30 GMT), warning students and residents to stay away from the area east of the campus, where the incident reportedly took place.  

R. Bowen Loftin, Texas A&M President, later issued a statement, saying it was a "sad day" for the community and that his "thoughts and prayers" were going out to the "families and close friends" of the victims.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott also said in a statement that “senseless attacks by violent criminals have no place in the State of Texas” and that they “will not be tolerated".

Governor Rick Perry tweeted that his "thoughts and prayers" were with those impacted by the shootings near his alma mater. 

The gunman's motive is yet to be determined. Thomas Caffall's alleged Facebook profile indicates that his interests included guns, such as the Glock pistol, the Mosin-Nagant, the vz. 58. "Shooting" was listed as a favorite activity. 

Caffall's sister, Courtney Clark, said her family "was distraught by the havoc he has caused" and called the tragedy "senseless".

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families," Clark added.

The incident is the latest in a spate of shootings throughout the country. Last Thursday,  three people were shot dead at a nighclub in Alabama. Just over a week ago, a lone gunman killed six worshipers at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. He later shot himself in the head, according to the FBI, though earlier police reports suggested that he was gunned down by an officer.

Last month, twelve people were killed in a shooting spree at a Colorado movie theater. The suspect in the shooting, James Holmes, was arrested and is on trial, facing multiple charges of first degree murder and attempted murder.