Gunman in Texas shootout fired more than 65 rounds

[August 18, 2012]  HOUSTON (AP) -- A gunman who was among three people killed in a shootout near Texas A&M University earlier this week fired more than 65 rounds and also took an officer's gun after fatally shooting him, police said Friday.

Police released a timeline of Monday's deadly incident in College Station, which lasted more than 20 minutes. The new details included authorities finding four weapons in the home of gunman Thomas Alton Caffall III -- one of which was a handgun Caffall took from Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann after he fatally shot him. The other weapons were a semi-automatic sniper rifle, an assault rifle and a bolt-action rifle.

Police said Friday that witnesses told investigators that Caffall approached Bachmann after shooting him and removed the gun from his belt. It did not appear that Bachmann's weapon had been fired, police said.

Caffall's family has said he was suffering from an unspecified mental illness and has stated, "It breaks our hearts his illness led to this." Four people also were injured in the incident -- three officers, who have been treated and released, and a Houston resident who is still hospitalized.

Authorities said Bachmann, 41, had gone to Caffall's home near the university's football stadium to deliver a notice for him to appear in court on Aug. 23 because Caffall was at least two months behind paying his rent, owing $1,250.

According to the timeline, the first 911 call came in at 12:11 p.m. The caller said an officer had been shot, as well as his girlfriend.

That woman was later identified as 51-year-old Barbara Holdsworth, a Houston resident shot twice as she pulled her vehicle into a driveway located half a block from Caffall's home. She was in College Station to help her daughter move into a house before the start of the fall semester at Texas A&M, located about 100 miles northwest of Houston.

Other 911 calls quickly followed, indicating that another bystander, 51-year-old Chris Northcliffe, who had been checking a rental home he owned about a block away, had been shot. He later died.

Before officers arrived at the scene at 12:14 p.m., a civilian who was about a block away fired five to six shots at Caffall. Police did not identify this person.

After the officers arrived at the scene, Caffall immediately began shooting at them, retreating into his home between rounds of fire.

At 12:28 p.m., two officers used a patrol vehicle as cover to reach Holdsworth and Northcliffe. Northcliffe had already died.

Holdsworth was later taken to a local hospital, where she remained in intensive care Friday. Friends of Holdsworth posted Friday on a website about her recovery that she is improving, off life support and able to interact with family and hospital staff.

At 12:35 p.m., Caffall had been shot and secured by officers. Caffall later died.

Police are still trying to determine how many rounds officers fired during the shooting.

Funerals for Bachmann and Northcliffe are scheduled for Saturday. Thousands of people were expected to attend Bachmann's funeral service, which will be held at Texas A&M's Reed Arena.

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Online:

Site dedicated to Holdsworth's recovery:
http://bit.ly/RicZvn

[Associated Press; By JUAN A. LOZANO]

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: http://twitter.com/juanlozano70.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.