Authorities said on Thursday that a suspect was arrested in connection with a mass shooting that killed at least one person and injured five others, including a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper.
The shooting occurred shortly before 3 p.m. at 350 Stone City Drive in Bryan, Texas. Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske told reporters that he believes the shooting suspect, whose identity has not been released, works for the company. The shooter had fled by the time officers arrived.
“At this site, when law enforcement showed up it was already over with,” Bryan Police Lt. Jason James said earlier. Witnesses had identified a suspect, and employees of the cabinet-making company were being interviewed. According to spokesman Deon Washington, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives dispatched dogs to the scene of the shooting.
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As authorities launched a manhunt for the shooter, the injured were taken to St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in critical condition. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, one of its troopers was shot while pursuing “an individual suspected of being involved in the shooting.” According to the agency, the trooper is still in critical but stable condition.
Authorities said they were still trying to figure out what motivated the attack.
In response to the shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying that he has been “working closely with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers as they assist local law enforcement on a swift response to this criminal act.”
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said the suspect was apprehended about two hours after the attack in Bedias, a small town about 25 miles northeast of Bryan.
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“Their efforts resulted in the arrest of the shooter. The state will assist in any way necessary to aid in the prosecution of the suspect “Abbott stated. “Cecilia and I are praying for the victims and their families and for the law enforcement officer injured while apprehending the suspect.”
Bryan, a town of approximately 84,000 people, is located approximately 100 miles northwest of Houston and adjacent to College Station, the home of Texas A&M University.