HOUSTON—As investigators continue to break down what happened Monday when a gunman went on a rampage that left three people dead, we have new insight from a person who witnessed it all.
The shootout started when a Brazos County constable served an eviction notice to 35-year-old Thomas Caffall at a home at the corner of Fidelity and Highland, near the Texas A&M campus.
When Constable Brian Bachmann, 41, served the notice, police said Caffall started shooting. Bachmann was hit and died at the scene.
“I hear these five shots and they were loud. I knew right away it wasn’t a fire cracker,” said Jeff Mann, a witness. “And it was just a terrible sight. I saw the officer on his back and I knew right away.”
“I pulled out my cell phone and called 911, and as I was waiting for 911 to answer, the shooter looked right up at me and we locked eyes,” he said. “So I’m running over here as fast as I can to get behind something, because I was afraid I was going to be shot. I was the first person the shooter saw after he just murdered a police officer.”
After that, other officers arrived and exchanged gunfire with Caffall, investigators said. Caffall was fatally struck.
Not far away, neighbor Rigo Sisneros caught it all on his cell-phone camera. The former Army medic helped try to revive the constable and then aided Caffal. He said one of Caffall's last statements was "please tell the officer I shot I’m sorry."
Sisneros, an 18-year-military veteran, said he’s never witnessed the kind of professionalism he saw among first responders on Monday. He declined an on-camera interview out of respect for the fallen officer.
