2012 College Station, Texas shooting

2012 College Station, Texas shooting
Location College Station, Texas
Date August 13, 2012 (2012-08-13)
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, 51-year-old Chris Northcliffe was fatal. EMS was pulled away from Chris Northcliffe as they were beginning treatment because of the gunfire from the shootout. 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] Christopher Northcliffe was then identified as the deceased civilian.[5]

Victims

Fatalities

Injuries

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

  1. ↑ McGuinness, William. "Texas A&M Shooting". Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Thomas Alton Caffall, Texas A&M Gunman, Fired More Than 65 Rounds In Texas Shootout"
  3. ↑ "3 killed in shooting near Texas A&M University". CNN. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Multiple people, officers shot". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  5. 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"
  6. ↑ "2 officers shot near Texas A&M". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Shooting near Texas A&M kills officer, civilian". Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Police constable, gunman, civilian killed in gunbattle near Texas A&M - U.S. News
  10. 1 2 "Veteran officer Brian Bachmann, gunman Thomas Alton Caffall die in Texas shootout"
  11. 1 2 "Revealed: Gunman who shot two dead and wounded four others in Texas spree after boasting about trying out his new 'toy' gun"
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