Police: Houston shooter chose spot for tactical advantage
HOUSTON -- Police believe an Army veteran who killed one person and injured several others in a shooting rampage at a Houston auto detail shop chose the location for tactical advantages.
Houston Lt. John McGalin said at a press conference Tuesday that Dionisio Garza III fired 212 rounds, killing 56-year-old Eugene Linscomb, injuring two police officers, four others and even hitting a police helicopter, during the incident Sunday.
McGalin said Garza -- a decorated soldier who was deployed twice to Afghanistan -- may have sneaked into the auto shop and stayed there overnight, surprising Linscomb and others arriving just after 5 a.m.
Police believe help from a nearby resident may have prevented others from getting hurt. The resident, who asked not to be identified, gave a SWAT team access to a home where a sniper was able to get a clear sight line, so the sniper could shoot and kill Garza.
McGalin said Garza appears to have purposely chosen a spot that was advantageous for a firefight.
"He had access to three corners. He was backed up against a fence, so he didn't have to worry about anyone getting behind him," McGalin said.
Garza's family told KPRC TV in Houston that "something snapped" in him following his two tours in Afghanistan.
They said his condition worsened in the weeks before he traveled to Houston from his home in California to visit an Army friend. Police did not say whether Garza actually met up with any friends in Houston.
McGalin said police spoke to Garza's family and received similar information about his mental health.
"It just appears to be someone who was in mental health crisis at this time," McGalin said. He added that at the scene, Garza had put "random writings" on the wall, but said they did not give police an indication of what motivated the shootings.
McGalin said police cleared a person injured in the shooting who police initially said may have been suspected of involvement in the incident. There are no other suspects in the case.