2012 College Station, Texas shooting
| 2012 College Station, Texas shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | College Station, Texas |
| Date |
August 13, 2012 c. 12:11 p.m. – 12:35 p.m. |
Attack type | Mass shooting, shootout |
| Weapons | |
| Deaths | 3 (including the perpetrator) |
Non-fatal injuries | 4 |
| Perpetrator | Thomas Alton Caffall III |
On August 13, 2012, a shooting occurred in College Station, Texas near Texas A&M University around 12:30 p.m. central time,[1] in which multiple people, mostly police officers, were shot in a shootout. The suspect, who was shot and fatally wounded in the gunfight, was later identified as 35-year-old Thomas Alton Caffall III. Police found a Vz 58 Tactical Sporter rifle, a Mosin–Nagant M91/30 rifle with a bayonet, a .40-caliber SIG Sauer P226 pistol stolen from a police officer,[2] and a PSL rifle with a scope in his house after the shooting.[3][4]
The shootout
The shooting began when 41-year-old Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann arrived at the house of Thomas Caffall with the intention to serve a notice for him to appear in court on August 23 due to a failure to pay his rent, in which he owed $1,250. Caffall apparently became outraged by this and opened fire as the officer approached his home, fatally wounding Bachmann. He then stole Bachmann's .40-caliber SIG Sauer P226 pistol and also shot and injured 51-year-old Barbara Holdsworth as she parked her vehicle in a driveway half a block from Caffall's home. Holdsworth's boyfriend witnessed her shooting and made the first call to 9-1-1.[2]
Numerous officers arrived at the scene at 12:14 p.m. and engaged in a shootout with Caffall that lasted for approximately thirty minutes. In this exchange of gunfire, three officers and a bystander were hit; the wounds of the bystander, 43-year-old Chris Northcliff, who was Caffall's landlord, were fatal. The shootout ended with Caffall's death from gunshots fired by police at 12:35 p.m.[5] During the shooting, a "code maroon" was issued at the university after multiple people were shot according to police spokesperson Rhonda Seaton. A total of 65 rounds were fired by Caffall during the shootout.[2]
Aftermath
Early reports of the incident indicated six people were wounded and that the shooter was taken into custody. Later reports indicated that a law enforcement officer and a civilian were both killed by gunfire, and at least three others, including some who may not have been injured by gunfire, were wounded.[6] At least two fatalities, one law enforcement officer and one civilian, were reported, and another civilian and a College Station police officer were also reported injured in the shooting.[7]
Brian Bachmann was identified as the slain police officer by College Station Police Department Assistant Police Chief Scott McCollum. Bachmann was the elected Constable for Precinct 1 in Brazos County, Texas, and he had been a Brazos County Sheriff's Deputy since 1993, according to the Facebook page for his 2010 Constable's Campaign.[8][9] Chris Northcliff was then identified as the deceased civilian.[5]
Victims
Fatalities
- Brian Bachmann (41), officer[5]
- Chris Northcliff (43), civilian[5]
- Thomas Alton Caffall III (35), gunman[5]
Injuries
- Justin Oehlkee, an officer who was shot in the calf[5]
- Brad Smith, an officer who suffered shrapnel injuries[5]
- Phil Dorsett, an officer who suffered shrapnel injuries[5]
- Barbara Holdsworth (51), a civilian who was seriously wounded and hospitalized[2][5]
Perpetrator
The shooter was identified as 35-year-old gun collector Thomas Alton Caffall III. He was confirmed to not be a student of Texas A&M nor a school employee.[10] Caffall's stepfather, Richard Weaver, revealed in an interview that his son was recently refusing to work and had quit from his job nine months prior to the shooting.[11] He also described Caffall as regularly playing video games, which seemed to distort his sense of reality.[5] Caffall's other family also specified that he was suffering from some sort of mental illness.[2] Prior to the shooting, Caffall posted photos of his gun collection on his Facebook profile.[11]
Reaction
Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Texas A&M alumni, gave a statement during an event in Florida, saying that his "prayers are with any of those that have been injured." A&M President R. Bowen Loftin also described the day as a "sad day in the Bryan-College Station community."[5] Caffall's family also issued statements of apology, with his sister Courtney Clark saying, "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and this is just a senseless tragedy...We are just distraught by the havoc that he has caused."[10]
References
- ↑ McGuinness, William. "Texas A&M Shooting". Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Thomas Alton Caffall, Texas A&M Gunman, Fired More Than 65 Rounds In Texas Shootout"
- ↑ "3 killed in shooting near Texas A&M University". CNN. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "Multiple people, officers shot". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Texas shooting suspect Thomas Alton Caffall's family 'distraught' after he, 2 others killed"
- ↑ "2 officers shot near Texas A&M". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "Shooting near Texas A&M kills officer, civilian". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ Fernandez, Manny; Schwirtz, Michael; Goodman, J. David (13 August 2012). "Gunman Arrested Near Campus of Texas A&M". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ Police constable, gunman, civilian killed in gunbattle near Texas A&M - U.S. News
- 1 2 "Veteran officer Brian Bachmann, gunman Thomas Alton Caffall die in Texas shootout"
- 1 2 "Revealed: Gunman who shot two dead and wounded four others in Texas spree after boasting about trying out his new 'toy' gun"