Police have identified the gunman of the deadly shooting in Plano, North Texas as the estranged husband of one of the victims.
Spencer Hight, 32, lived in Plano. He burst into Meredith Lane Hight’s home and opened fire, killing her and seven other friends on Sept. 10.
Meredith and her friends were preparing to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game, a gathering that soon turned into a bloody crime scene.
Police said that Spencer had multiple firearms on him when he entered the property. He shot seven people dead and wounded two. One of the wounded died in the hospital, while the other person, who has not been named, survived and is still hospitalized.
When a police officer arrived on the scene around 8 p.m., he saw bodies in the property’s backyard and heard gunshots coming from the house, authorities said. The officer confronted Spencer and fatally shot him.
Meredith had filed for divorce from Spencer in July but did not request a restraining order. Her mother Debbie Lane said that the gathering was a chance for her daughter to enjoy time with her friends after the divorce.
Some of the victims were close friends of the couple and were at the wedding, according to Lane, including James Dunlop, the best man, and Rion Morgan, one of the groomsman.
The full list of victims released from the police are Meredith Hight, 27, estranged wife of the suspect, Anthony Cross, 33, Olivia Deffner, 24, James Dunlop, 29, Darryl Hawkins, 22, Rion Morgan, 31, Myah Bass, 28 and Caleb Edwards, 25.
“We’ve never had a shooting of this magnitude, we’ve never seen this many victims before,” Plano Police Chief Gregory Rushin said at a news conference on Monday.
“He was a murdering, evil monster who took the lives of many people,” Meredith’s mother said, describing Spencer, her daughter’s estranged husband.
“If there’s one young woman sitting next to a man where she has her doubts or that she’s making excuses for… that she'll leave and not look back and find a good person to be with,” she said. “And if that can save those lives, it’s worth every conversation I have.”
Neighbor Stacey Glover said that she had seen people laughing and grilling outside on that Sunday, and that the party had started early in the afternoon, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The newspaper also spoke to an unnamed friend of Spencer who had been messaging him online. There was one question that Spencer kept repeating, according to the friend: “How can the one person you’re supposed to love more than life itself end up being the one person you hate more than life itself?”
Genevieve Morrissy, a friend of Meredith, paid tribute to her on social media. “She had a light within her that was magical and addictive to be around,” she wrote.
“I wish his family emotional recovery in such a terrible time, I will absolutely be paying my respects for this selfless individual.”
No officers were injured in the attack. The unnamed officer who fatally shot the suspect is on administrative leave with pay, a standard procedure. The Plano Police Department and the Texas Rangers continue to investigate the case.