A Texas man shot and killed four of his children and two adults looking after them before surrendering to police after a standoff during which he held a gun to his head, officials said.
A fifth child, a 15-year-old girl, was also shot and was in critical condition after the Houston area shooting Wednesday evening, said Thomas Gilliland of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The reason for the latest chapter in the epidemic of gun violence plaguing the United States was not immediately known, but police suspect family troubles led to the bloodshed.
All four of the children were either biological or adopted children of the suspect, Gilliland told reporters at the scene.
The man was separated from his wife, who lived out of state, authorities said, according to CNN.
US media showed a photo a heavy-set blond man with his arms raised in the air after he got out of his car in suburban Houston as the standoff ended.
ABC News said the slain children were boys aged 13 and 4 and two girls aged 9 and 7.
The shooting happened in Spring, outside Houston.
Before being taken to hospital, the 15-year-old girl was able to tell authorities where the suspect was headed, triggering a police chase.
She said her father intended to kill her grandparents at another home.
