UPDATE: 5:21 p.m., April 8, 2021
One person was killed and five others were wounded Thursday in the wake of a shooting at a cabinet-making business in Bryan, Texas, that resulted in a manhunt and eventual capture of a male suspect who also shot a state trooper, authorities said.
Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske told reporters he believes the shooting suspect is an employee at the Kent Moore Cabinets location where the shooting happened about 2:30 p.m. inside plant bays where employees make cabinets.
The gunman apparently acted alone using a handgun, but a motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, Buske said. He said the suspect, who has not been identified, was gone by the time officers arrived.
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said the suspected shooter was arrested in the tiny town of Iola, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) away from the cabinet plant.
A state trooper who was shot while pursuing the suspect was is in serious but stable condition, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Twitter.
When Kent Moore Cabinets employees were interviewed, witnesses identified a suspect, Bryan Police Lt. Jason James said before the suspect’s capture.
“At this site, when law enforcement showed up, it was already over with,” James said.
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.
Bryan is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Houston and sits on the doorstep of Texas A&M University. The city of more than 86,000 residents is a market, industrial and medical center for the middle Brazos River valley with an economy centered on the university in adjacent College Station and its related agribusiness; computers, research and development. It also is the seat of Brazos County.
According to the company’s website, Kent Moore Cabinets is headquartered in Bryan and employs more than 600 people statewide. The company makes custom cabinets and has design centers in neighboring College Station and nearly a dozen Texas cities.
A person who answered the phone Thursday at Kent Moore Cabinets’ headquarters said she could not provide any information on the shooting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered prayers for shooting victims and their families.
“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.”
