One person was killed and five others were injured as a result of a shooting at a woodworking company in Bryan, Texas, authorities said, and a state soldier was later shot dead during a hunt for the man who brought the alleged gunman into police custody.
Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske told reporters on Thursday he believed the suspect in the shooting was an employee of the Kent Moore Cabinets. The shooting took place in the bays of a factory where employees make cabinets.
Buske said the motive for the shooting was unclear.
The shooter was gone by the time officers arrived, Buske said.
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said a suspect man in the shooting was arrested in the small town of Iola, about 30 miles from the cabinet factory.
The state soldier who was shot while pursuing the suspect was in serious but stable condition, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Twitter.
Kent Moore Cabinets employees were being questioned, Police Lt. Bryan Jason James said earlier, and witnesses had identified a suspect. Police were looking for the alleged shooter, James said, but he could not describe the person.
“On this site, when law enforcement appeared, it was already over,” said James.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent officers and dogs to the scene of the shooting, spokesman Deon Washington said.
Police asked people to stay away from the company during the investigation.
Bryan is located approximately 100 miles northwest of Houston, at the gateway to Texas A&M University. The city of more than 86,000 inhabitants is a commercial, industrial and medical center for the middle valley of the Brazos River, with an economy centered on the adjacent University of College Station and its associated agro-industry; IT, research and development. It is also the seat of Brazos County.
Kent Moore Cabinets is headquartered in Bryan and employs more than 600 people statewide, according to the company’s website. The company manufactures custom cabinets and has design centers in nearby College Station and in nearly a dozen cities in Texas.
A person who answered the phone Thursday at the Kent Moore Cabinets headquarters said they could not provide any information about the shooting.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered prayers for shooting the victims and their families.
“I have worked closely with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to help local law enforcement respond quickly to this criminal act. Their efforts led to the arrest of the shooting suspect.