Police seek motive in Texas family deaths

By the CNN Wire Staff

updated 1:23 PM EST, Mon December 26, 2011

Seven found dead in Texas apartment

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Police say the 7 people were opening Christmas gifts when the shootings occurred
• The shooter is believed to be related to the family by marriage, authorities say
• Autopsies will be conducted Monday, according to police

Dallas (CNN) -- Autopsies will be conducted Monday on seven family members who were shot -- apparently by one of their own -- at a Christmas gathering, police said.

"The information we have is that this is a family, some of them related by marriage but mostly by blood," Grapevine, Texas, police Sgt. Robert Eberling said Monday. "They have lived in other areas in the (Dallas) metroplex and they came yesterday for a Christmas gathering."

Authorities believe the shooter "was one of the individuals inside the apartment that was also deceased," Eberling said. "We know he is a family member ... we are working to find out why exactly this took place. We contacted other family members to piece this together."

The shooter is believed to have been related to the family by marriage, he said.

Police said Sunday the group was either in the process of opening Christmas gifts or had just finished doing so when the shootings occurred in the living room of the apartment in Grapevine, about 25 miles northwest of Dallas.

Authorities responded to the address Sunday after receiving a 911 call from the apartment, but hearing only an open line, police said in a statement.

The seven bodies -- four female adults and three adult males -- were found when officers entered the apartment. "All victims appear to have gunshot wounds," said the statement.

The victims range in age from 15 to 58 or 59 years old, Eberling said Monday. Autopsy results will be available Tuesday, he said.

CNN's Carma Hassan and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/26/justice/texas-deaths/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

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