Plano, Sep. 12 (PTI): Seven people were fatally shot during a gathering at a suburban Dallas home before police fatally shot the suspect, police say. Debbie Lane told WFAA television station that her daughter, Meredith Lane, was among those killed in the shooting last night. She said her daughter owned the home and had recently divorced her husband of six years.
She said her daughter, a native of Georgia, was hosting a party to watch football games, starting with the Atlanta Falcons vs the Chicago Bears and continuing with the Dallas Cowboys vs the New York Giants. “She was a cook, and a quite fine one, and she loved hosting friends and families,” Debbie Lane said. Police have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims and suspect. All of those killed and injured were believed to be adults.
Plano police spokesman David Tilley said police initially responded to a report of shots fired at about 8 p.m. yesterday. When the first officer arrived and went inside the home, the officer confronted the suspected shooter and opened fire, killing the suspect. “The first responding officer actually heard gunshots taking place inside the residence,” Tilley said. Officers then found nine gunshot victims — seven who were dead and two injured. The two injured were taken to the hospital.
Neighbor Stacey Glover told The Dallas Morning News that the party had started early in the afternoon and that she had seen people laughing and grilling outside. She says she then heard the shots around 8 p.m. She opened her door and smelled gunpowder. She heard police who arrived yell “hands up” before more shots rang out. Police have not determined a motive for the shooting.
Tilley said authorities were still investigating many aspects of the case, including the relationships between those at the home. He also did not know the total number of people who had attended the gathering. Tilley said that a shooting of this magnitude was unusual for Plano, especially in such a quiet neighborhood. He could not say whether police had been called to the home before yesterday. Tilley said the Texas Rangers are investigating the officer-involved shooting and are helping Plano police with the homicide investigation as well.
