Seven people were shot and killed at a home in a Dallas suburb where they had reportedly gathered to watch a football game, authorities and neighbors say. A police officer who arrived on the scene exchanged gunfire with the suspected shooter, who was killed.
Two other people were wounded in the incident, police said. There was no immediate word on their conditions.
The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. local time Sunday in Plano, about 20 miles northeast of Dallas. The victims, who were all said to be adults, had held an afternoon barbecue ahead of the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game, according to neighbors.
A nearby officer heard gunfire and responded, The Dallas Morning News reports.
The officer "made entry, and that's when he observed several victims inside and then engaged the suspect," police spokesman David Tilley was quoted as saying by the Morning News.
"We're looking into a motive," Tilley said, adding that the relationship between the victims and the shooter was unknown as yet. However, the newspaper writes that:
"A neighbor said a friend of one of the homeowners said the violence had been sparked by a domestic dispute. ... The couple identified in public records as the homeowners sought a divorce in July."
The police spokesman said the shooting was unusual for Plano. He declined to say whether police had been called to the house in the past, according to The Associated Press.
One neighbor, Stacey Glover, told the Morning News that the party had started in the afternoon, with people laughing and grilling outside. The newspaper reports: "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."
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