DALLAS (AP) – A gunman opened fire on emergency responders treating a gunshot victim in a Dallas street, critically injuring a paramedic and prompting police to lock down the area until the suspect – and another person – were found dead in a local home, authorities said.
Police believe the shooting started Monday as a dispute between the suspect and the gunshot victim, who were neighbors in a largely residential area east of downtown.
The gunman fled before holing up in a house where investigators believe he fatally shot another person before killing himself. A police robot found the two bodies after authorities barricaded entrances to the community for several hours to allow officers to scour the neighborhood, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said during a news conference.
Responding officers found the paramedic and the civilian injured, and “took fire from the suspect as they approached,” Interim Police Chief David Pughes said. A sergeant arrived as officers were still maintaining cover – because the shooter was still at large – and rushed in to pull the injured paramedic to safety.
“He went in alone and he pulled the paramedic out, placed him in his squad car and drove him to Baylor hospital,” Pughes said. “We believe … that as a result of those actions, that paramedic’s life was saved.”