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Police ID gunman, victims in North Texas shooting that left 3 dead, 4 wounded

HALTOM CITY, Texas — Three people died and four were injured, including three police officers, after a gunman in North Texas led police on a short pursuit Saturday evening that ended with him taking his own life, the Haltom City Police Department confirmed.

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Update 11:30 p.m. EDT July 3: Police on Sunday identified the wounded officers as Cpl. Zach Tabler, who has been with the Haltom City department for seven years; Officer Tim Barton, with six years of service; and Officer Jose Avila, with five years of service. All three are expected to survive, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

The two slain civilians were identified by police as Collin Davis, 33, and Amber Tsai, 32.

According to property records, Tsai lived at the Diamond Oaks Drive residence where the shooting started, the newspaper reported.

The neighbor who called 911 to report the altercation and was also shot was not identified publicly. She is expected to undergo surgery and survive, police said during a Sunday afternoon press conference.

Meanwhile, police identified the shooter as 28-year-old Edward Freyman, who they said knew the victims. Both the relationship between the shooter and victims and a motive for the slayings remain under investigation, the Star-Telegram reported.

According to the newspaper, Tabler underwent surgery after being shot in his right arm, finger and leg and remained hospitalized Sunday. Avila, who was shot in his legs, was slated for surgery Sunday, and Barton, who was shot in the upper thigh, was treated and released from an area hospital.

According to video from a neighbor’s doorbell camera shown during Sunday’s news conference, Freyman shot at officers as they arrived, and the officers returned fire. He then fled the scene on foot and was located about half a mile from the original crime scene with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Haltom City, about five miles northeast of Fort Worth, has a population of about 60,000, the Star-Telegram reported.

Original report: According to NBC-DFW, officers responding to a 911 call shortly after 6:45 p.m. local time found a woman shot dead inside the Diamond Oaks Drive residence and a man dead in the home’s driveway. Another woman who called 911 also suffered injuries not considered life-threatening, the TV station reported.

According to police, the suspect was located dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and both a handgun and “military-style” rifle were found near his body, KDFW reported.

It remained unclear Sunday if the suspect, who has not been identified publicly, knew the victims or lived in the Diamond Oaks Drive home to which police were initially called, the TV station reported.

According to NBC-DFW, three Haltom City police officers were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following Saturday’s brief manhunt through the neighborhood that erupted at some point in an exchange of gunfire.

All three injured officers are being treated at area hospitals and are expected to recover fully, the TV station reported.

On Sunday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued the following statement, obtained by NBC-DFW, regarding the shootings:

“Last evening, three police officers were wounded protecting the citizens of Haltom City,” Patrick said, adding, “Two civilians were killed and another was injured. This is a timely reminder that the men and women of law enforcement are to be lauded for their heroic work that they do for us every single day. Please join Jan and me in prayer for the recovery of the wounded officers and civilian, and please pray for those killed and their families.”