Texas Family Killed by Relative Dressed as Santa

A Christmas tragedy gets even worse: The Texas family found dead in the Dallas area yesterday had just opened their Christmas presents when one of their relatives apparently burst in dressed as Santa, shot them all, and then turned the gun on himself, police revealed today. Seven people were killed, including the shooter—the dead included four women and three men, aged 18 to 60, the AP reports. Police aren't sure what motivated the homicidal Santa, and won't reveal the identities of any of the dead until after autopsies have been completed today.

Police discovered the shooting yesterday after getting a phone call from the apartment around midday with no one on the other line. Many of the neighboring apartments are vacant, and no neighbors reported hearing the incident. Police are currently looking for other relatives, to inform them about the deaths. "Seven people in one setting in Grapevine," marveled one of the town's police lieutenants. "That's never happened before. Ever." (More shooting stories.)