What to Know
- Man opens fire at warehouse in Bryan, Texas, fatally shooting one and injuring five others
- Gunman believed to be an employee; motive for shooting unknown
- Texas State Trooper shot pursuing suspect; suspect is in custody
A man opened fire at a Texas cabinet-making company where he worked, killing one person and wounding five others before shooting and wounding a state trooper prior to his arrest, the Texas Department of Public Safety says.
Larry Winston Bollin, 27, of Iola, was booked into the Brazos County Detention Center in Bryan late Thursday, according to a Bryan Police Department statement. Jail records showed Bollin was charged with murder and was being held on a $1 million bond. More charges may be filed Friday, police said. No attorney was listed for Bollin in the jail record.
Thursday evening shortly before 5 p.m. CDT, Bryan Chief of Police Eric Buske said a person who they believe to be an employee of Kent Moore Cabinets showed up at the company's headquarters and began shooting near the warehouse at about 2:30 pm.
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Buske said investigators believe the single shooter was solely responsible for the attack Thursday, and that he was gone by the time officers arrived.
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said about two hours after the attack, Bollin was arrested in Bedias, a small community about 25 miles northeast of Bryan.
One person, identified as 40-year-old Timothy Smith, of Bryan, died at the cabinet company while five others were hospitalized for gunshot wounds -- four of those patients were listed in critical condition Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, police said two of the survivors had been upgraded from critical to serious condition. A sixth person was also hospitalized after the shooting who suffered an asthma attack. The names of the survivors have not been released.
While being pursued by authorities, the gunman shot and wounded Texas State Trooper Juan Rojas Tovar who remains hospitalized Friday in critical but stable condition, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Twitter.
The DPS said Trooper Tovar is at St Joseph Health in Bryan and that they "remain hopeful his condition will improve and appreciate the many kind thoughts and prayers."
A motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Kent Moore Cabinets said “our hearts are hurting” and asked for “thoughts and prayers” for its employees and their families.
“We’re all devastated by the tragic events at our Stone City manufacturing plant in Bryan on Thursday,” the statement said. “We are fully cooperating with the police who are investigating this horrible crime.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent agents and dogs to the shooting scene, said spokesman Deon Washington. Police asked people to stay away from the business during the investigation.
The company, which is headquartered in Bryan, makes custom cabinets. It has design centers in nearly a dozen Texas cities and employs more than 600 people, according to its website.
President Biden on Gun Violence
The shooting in Texas comes just hours after President Joe Biden announced a half-dozen executive actions to combat what he called an “epidemic and an international embarrassment” of gun violence in America while also calling on Congress to end the broad immunity that gun-makers have from being sued for shootings, making it a top priority for his administration.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who earlier in the afternoon vowed to fight Biden's executive actions by making Texas a 2nd Amendment sanctuary state, issued the following statement Thursday afternoon after learning of the mass shooting.
"I have been working closely with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers as they assist local law enforcement on a swift response to this criminal act. Their efforts led to the arrest of the shooting suspect. The state will assist in any way needed to help prosecute the suspect. Cecilia and I are praying for the victims and their families and for the law enforcement officer injured while apprehending the suspect," Abbott said.
The shooting in Central Texas comes the same day former NFL player Phillip Adams is said to have fatally shot five people including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren, before killing himself.
Earlier this week in North Texas, two teenage brothers made a suicide pact to shoot and kill four members of their family before taking their own lives.
NBC 5's Scott Gordon contributed to this report.
