Man Kills Self, Five Others in Texas Birthday Party Shooting Spree
A 35-year-old father shot and killed five family members before killing himself on Saturday night at a North Texas roller rink.
The man and his family were celebrating his 11-year-old son's birthday party at Forum Roller World in Grand Prarie, Texas, when the man, Tan Do, opened fire on family members after an argument with his 29-year-old wife, Trini Do. He killed five, including his wife, and injured four others before shooting himself in the head.
At first, it was unclear whether or not the gunman's wound was self-inflicted, but Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye made it clear to the media on Saturday night.
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“The suspected gunman did die of a self-inflicted shot,” Dye said.
Do was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas that night.
Detective John Brimmer of the Grand Prairie Police Department said that Tan and his wife had ongoing issues in their marriage.
“They were estranged. They'd been having some marital problems,” said Brimmer, according to Reuters.
“This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry,” he added. “The shooting lasted only seconds.”
There were about 30 people in attendance at the private party when the shooting occurred. Among those killed were Trini's sisters, Lynn Ta, 16, and Michelle Ta, 28; her brother, Hien Ta, 21; and her sister-in-law, Thuy Nguyen, 25.
KTVT-TV in Dallas reported what Dylan Pham, who just recently celebrated his one-year wedding anniversary with Michelle Ta before she was killed, had to say about the attack.
“I think he planned it out already,” Pham said. “When the family gathered around, in a circle, that’s when he took out a gun and shot everyone he can.”
He said that he knew the couple had been arguing a few days before the party, but he never expected Do to attack like he did.
“We do know he is high-temper – but nothing major,” he said. “We didn’t think he would do something like this.”
Neither of the feuding couple's children was harmed during the shooting.
The Times Record out of Fort Smith, Ark. reports that the injured were taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center and Medical City Dallas. No information on their conditions has been released yet.
Trini Do filed for divorce from Tan in September 2008, but later withdrew it, according to KTVT-TV. There is a paper trail indicating that he had abused her, including a restraining order that she withdrew in January against the advice of a prosecutor from the district attorney's office's family violence unit.
