BRYAN, Texas (KWKT/KXAN) — Police said one person is dead and at least six others who worked at a Bryan cabinet store were hurt after a mass shooting Thursday afternoon. The Bryan Police Department identified the suspected gunman as Larry Bollin, 27, of nearby Grimes County. He is also accused of shooting a state trooper, Juan Rojas Tovar of the Madisonville Texas Highway Patrol office, during his arrest.
Bollin was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Grimes County, charged with murder and booked into the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, according to Bryan PD. He is an employee at the cabinet business.
In an update Friday, Bryan PD identified the person who died in the shooting as 40-year-old Bryan resident Timothy Smith. Two of those injured are in critical condition and another two victims have stable vital signs in the hospital.
Shooting and arrest
Bryan PD said initial calls came in at 2:30 p.m., reporting a shooting with several injured at 350 Stone City Drive. Officers arrived on scene and helped care for the victims while searching for the suspect, now identified as Bollin. He was not at the scene when officers got there.
At least six people were taken to nearby hospitals like St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan and St. Joseph Health College Station Hospital, but only four were in critical condition at the time. One person was listed as having non-life-threatening injuries, and another was listed as having a medical episode. Smith died at the scene. All were workers at the business.
Right now, the suspect’s motive is unknown, according to Bryan PD.
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was also shot while chasing Bollin, the agency confirmed on social media. The trooper is in serious, but stable condition.
Lt. Craig Cummings with Texas DPS said in an update Thursday night that, “during that [arrest] attempt, the suspect shot at our trooper, injuring our trooper, and that suspect then fled the scene. He was taken into custody at about 4:20 p.m. [Thursday].”
Witnesses share what they saw
The shooting reportedly happened at the Kent Moore Cabinets store, located in the 500 block of Industrial Boulevard in Bryan. Officers are interviewing other employees at the business as well as collecting evidence from the crime scene.
Marc Baron, an employee at Kent Moore Cabinets, said it was “just a regular day, and you can start hearing… gunshots, slamming, running, people falling, screaming — I fell myself. My whole leg went in the mud.”
Another witness said the suspect didn’t say anything and began shooting at certain workers.
Kent Moore Cabinets released a statement about the shooting on Facebook Thursday night. It said “our hearts are hurting.”
“We’re all devastated by the tragic events at our Stone City manufacturing plant in Bryan on Thursday. Our thoughts are with our workers and their families, and we ask that you join us in keeping everyone touched by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. We are fully cooperating with the police who are investigating this horrible crime. We’re thankful that law enforcement officers responded so quickly and are so appreciative of the critical medical care that paramedics provided to our coworkers. Our focus now is on our employees and their families during this most difficult time, and we hope you understand we are not able to respond to your comments. Your concern and kind words are deeply appreciated.”
-Kent Moore Cabinets
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement, shown below, talking about how law enforcement handled the investigation and apprehended the suspect.
“I have been working closely with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers as they assist local law enforcement on a swift response to this criminal act. Their efforts led to the arrest of the shooting suspect. The state will assist in any way needed to help prosecute the suspect. Cecilia and I are praying for the victims and their families and for the law enforcement officer injured while apprehending the suspect.”
-Gov. Greg Abbott
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, College Station Police Department, Texas A&M University Police Department and local constables all helped at the scene.
KXAN’s sister station in Waco, FOX44 News, also confirmed a school in the area was on lockdown.
