Move FM Global News

GREENVILLE, Texas – Around a dozen people have been shot, two of which are dead, near the city of Greenville, in Texas.

The mass shooting took place just before midnight on Saturday at an off-campus Texas A&M University-Commerce homecoming party, a Hunt County Sheriff’s Office officer said. Greenville is in Hunt County, which is located about 50 miles (80kms) northeast of Dallas.

Chief Deputy Buddy Oxford of the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting began around 15 minutes after deputies arrived outside the venue. The deputies had been alerted to incidents of illegal parking which drew them to the location. Soon after they arrived and began investigating at about 11:45pm they heard gunshots coming from the rear of the building. Oxford said they couldn’t ascertain whether the shooting was occurring inside the building or outside.

They later discovered two bodies in the building and established another 14 people had been injured in the attack, twelve of which had been shot. All 14 have been hospitalised.

Officers from Hunt County launched a massive manhunt in the early hours of Sunday morning. They were limited however in that they don’t have a description of the shooter, Oxford said.

Medical City Plano spokeswoman Melissa Sauvage has confirmed to The Associated Press that 3 of those wounded are in critical condition.

The chief deputy said officers at the scene estimated around 750 people were at the party which was to celebrate homecoming. It was being held at what is known as The Party Venue, about 16 miles from the Texas A&M Commerce campus and about forty-four miles northeast of Dallas.

The real concern for lawmakers is they do not have a reliable description of the gunman.

“It appalls me that, as many folks that were there, they have not been able to give us a better description of this shooter,” Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks told reporters at an 8:00am press conference on Sunday. “Due to the many different descriptions being provided by those in attendance at the party, we unfortunately do not have any solid suspect information to provide at this time.”

A group called Good Fellows, whose members include some students at Texas A&M University-Commerce, organized the party, and as such was not university-related event.

About four or 5 of of the fourteen injured were students at the university, he said.

The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in the investigation buy the Texas Rangers and the FBI.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and friends of those affected by this morning’s shooting in Greenville, Texas,” the university said in a statement released by spokesman Michael Johnson on Sunday.

(Photo credit: Fox 4 Terry).