Five people were killed in a mass shooting Thursday morning in the Central Texas town of McGregor, and a male suspect is in custody following a shootout with police.
McGregor police stated that they received a shots-fired call around 7:35 a.m.
Officers responded to the scene in the 900 block of South Monroe Avenue, where they came under fire from an armed suspect.
Police managed to shoot the suspect and take the man into custody, putting an end to the incident. They discovered five people had been shot to death at the scene, which spanned two adjacent houses.
“This terrible and senseless act of violence has devastated our town,” said McGregor Mayor Jimmy Hering. “While the families are being notified of the details, we ask that you keep them, the officers, and the community of McGregor in your thoughts and prayers.”
Authorities have not disclosed a number of details, including a possible motive, any relationship between the suspect and victims, or the identities of the dead.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident at the request of the McGregor Police Department, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson.
The McGregor Independent School District stated that it sent counselors to a number of its campuses and canceled several events on Thursday throughout the district out of respect for the victims.
A family member of two of the deceased spoke with KCEN and gave the news outlet permission to identify them publicly.
The family member claimed Lori Aviles and Natalie Aviles, mother and young-adult daughter, respectively, were innocent bystanders in the incident.
In a town of only about 5,200 people, news of the mass shooting reverberated throughout the community. An impromptu church service was held at Bethlehem Christian Church on Thursday evening to provide emotional support for Lori Avile’s two surviving teenage sons, now orphans since their father Mike died two years ago.
