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2 people killed, 10 injured in off-campus college homecoming party in Greenville, Texas

Posted at 6:39 AM, Oct 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-27 08:43:48-04

A manhunt is on for a gunman who opened fire at an off-campus homecoming party near Greenville, Texas, killing two people and sending 14 more to area hospitals, police said Sunday.

The party may involve a Texas A&M University-Commerce fraternity, though the event was not sanctioned by the school, Chief Deputy Buddy Oxford of the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office said.

Gunshots rang out about 11:45 p.m. (12:45 a.m. ET) Saturday at The Party Venue, an event space located on a sparsely populated stretch of Highway 380. Greenville is a city of 27,000 located 50 miles northeast of Dallas.

Authorities first responded to complaints of vehicles parked along the highway, Oxford said, and the shooting began about 15 minutes after they arrived.

Investigators have yet to establish a motive but are looking for a single shooter, the chief deputy said. The gunman used a semiautomatic rifle, he said.

There were about 750 people at the venue when police arrived, Oxford said.

The FBI and Texas Rangers are assisting in the investigation, he said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and friends of those affected by this morning’s shooting in Greenville,” Texas A&M University-Commerce said in a statement.

The university and its police department are working with the sheriff’s office to determine whether any of the victims are students, the statement says.

Earlier, the school’s police departmenttweeted there was an event outside Greenville that “may or not have involved students.” There was no active shooter in Commerce, the department said.

Video from CNN affiliate KTVT showed a large police presence near the event rental space. The owner of the venue told CNN that a Texas A&M University-Commerce fraternity had rented the space.

The owner declined to provide details about the shooting.

Hunt Regional Medical Center confirmed it received patients, but would not provide a number or any information on the nature of their injuries. Medical City Plano said it was treating three patients.