8 killed in shooting at Dallas Cowboys watch party in Plano, police say

By Lauren del Valle, CNN

(CNN) -- A man shot and killed eight people at a Dallas-area home where people had gathered to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game on TV, authorities say.

A police officer who was called to the home in Plano on Sunday shot and killed the gunman there, authorities said. The gunman was Spencer James Hight, according to the Plano Police Department.

One of the victims, Meredith Hight, 27, was the estranged wife of the gunman, officials said Tuesday. At a news conference on Monday, Plano Police Chief Greg Rushin had said the gunman had a connection to the house.

The other victims were Anthony Cross, 33; Olivia Deffner, 24; James Dunlop, 29; Darryl Hawkins, 22; Rion Morgan, 31; Myah Bass, 28; and Caleb Edwards, 25, the Plano Police Department said in a news release.

"We've never had a shooting of this magnitude. We've never seen this many victims before. It's just a terrible event," Rushin said.

Calls reporting multiple gunshots came in to Plano Police dispatch around 8 p.m. Sunday. An officer nearby approached the residence two minutes later, where he heard gunfire and found shooting victims in the backyard, Rushin said.

The officer "showed great bravery," immediately engaging and fatally shooting the armed suspect who was inside the residence, Rushin said.

Seven of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were rushed to the hospital. One of the hospitalized patients later died.

The status of the surviving victim is unknown, Rushin said.

Multiple firearms of different types were recovered at the scene, the chief said.

The shooter may have been seen with a gun at a bar near the residence just before the shooting, he added.

Police are not pursuing any other suspects, Rushin said.

The investigation is ongoing. Texas Rangers are handling the police-involved shooting investigation. The Plano Police Department is also conducting an internal administrative review of the officer, who has not been identified.

The-CNN-Wire

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