A man fatally shot three teenagers before he sexually attacked a 12-year-old girl at a home in suburban Houston overnight, the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas said Sunday.
The suspect was found in the master bedroom of the home in Galena Park dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
Officers found the other victims, ages 13, 14 and 19, dead in the residence, he said.
Galena Park officers were dispatched around 10:30 p.m. Saturday after reports of gunfire and the claim of sexual assault by the 12-year-old, Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez praised the girl for having the wits to grab the uninjured 1-year-old and flee to a neighbor's residence. The girl was nude, NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston reported.
"When she ran out, she was able to think about it, thankfully, and was able to grab the 1-year-old," Gonzalez said.
The 12-year-old was taken to a hospital for treatment, he said.
Authorities at the scene told KPRC that the 19-year-old victim was pregnant. Her fetus was not counted among the dead.
Gonzalez said an argument broke out between the suspect and at least one of the teenagers before gunfire erupted. One of the teen victims was not a member of the household and was visiting, KPRC reported.
The suspect may have already been angry because someone said hello to his girlfriend, the mother of two of the victims, sheriff’s officials and a family member told the station.
The woman had briefly left the home when the violence happened, KPRC reported.
Identities of the deceased, including the suspect, were unavailable.
The violence remained under investigation Sunday. Galena Park is a city of nearly 11,000 people just east of Houston in Harris County.
