Eviction notice sparked fatal shootout in College Station Constable, gunman, bystander are dead; Houston mom hospitalized

A police officer stands at the scene of a shooting Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, in College Station. Residents were escorted to and from their homes allowing to get necessities. The shooting left three dead including a constable. less A police officer stands at the scene of a shooting Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, in College Station. Residents were escorted to and from their homes allowing to get necessities. The shooting left three dead including ... more Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Eviction notice sparked fatal shootout in College Station 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

COLLEGE STATION — The act of serving an eviction notice during the sleepy days before fall classes begin in Aggieland turned into a half-hour shootout on Monday that left three people dead, including a constable, and a Houston woman the most seriously injured among the wounded.

Brazos County Precinct 1 Constable Brian Bachmann arrived at the small, one-story home south of the Texas A&M University campus shortly after noon.

He never got to the door.

Thomas Alton Caffall III, the 35-year-old tenant, met the constable outside. Both were armed.

That confrontation sparked a gunfire exchange that eventually would kill or injure seven people.

The neighborhood a few blocks from Texas A&M's football stadium where a shoot out left three dead Monday remained still Tuesday morning with the expected quiet of the college town.

Runners breezed by police tape and construction crews kicked into gear, continuing the routine of the quiet neighborhood.

A police presence is still apparent with officers blocking a wide perimeter around the street where gunfire broke out when a constable tried to serve Caffall an eviction notice.

Officers were escorting some residents into their houses to get toothbrushes and other sundries.

On Monday, residents in the area were stunned, many initially confusing the gunfire for construction before cop cars flooded the area.

Neighbor Rigo Cisneros heard the shots, called 911 and reported that an officer was down. Authorities from multiple agencies descended on the neighborhood. Cisneros began shooting video that showed officers storming toward the house with guns drawn, repeatedly yelling "do not move" to Caffall. Police were met with gunshots and fired their weapons.

Within minutes, the constable and the gunman were both lying in the yard with bullet wounds.

Cisneros, a former Army medic, said he started CPR immediately on Bachmann, who had been shot in the chest. When paramedics arrived to attend to the lawman, Cisneros ran over to work on the shooter.

That's when the gunman asked him to apologize to the officer on his behalf.

"I was covered in his blood," Cisneros said. "He just kept repeating things over and over and continued shallow breathing."

By 12:40, the shooting had stopped.

Bachmann was dead. Caffall was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The hail of bullets also killed bystander Christopher Northcliffe, 51, of College Station.

College Station Police Department officer Justin Oehlke was shot in the calf. Two of his colleagues, officers Brad Smith and Phil Dorsett, were treated and released.

Houston mother Barbara Holdsworth was injured when bullets hit her vehicle. She underwent surgery but remained in serious condition late Monday. Holdsworth was in College Station helping her daughter, an A&M student, move.

'A stupid thing'

An eviction document known as a forcible entry detainer was filed against Caffall Thursday, according to Brazos County court records.

"It was a stupid thing to happen. An eviction notice. What possibly could you be thinking? It's so pointless," Cisneros said, adding that he didn't know his neighbor, but that multiple renters had occupied the property over the past five years.

The 685-square-foot house at 211 Fidelity, south of Kyle Field, is owned by A&M structural engineering professor Harry Jones and his wife, Judy.

"I don't have anything to say at the moment," Jones said Monday.

Bachmann, 41, had been a law enforcement officer for roughly two decades and took office as constable in January 2011.

Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk held back tears when speaking about his friend, who had discussed succeeding him as sheriff.

"He was proud of what he was doing," Kirk said, adding that the Hempstead native leaves a wife, Donna, and children Caitlyn, 9, and Colby, 14. "Brian went out to do his job and he was gunned down for doing it."

The shooter was known as "Tres" to relatives and friends. According to Caffall's Facebook page, he moved from Temple to College Station early last year.

"Our hearts go out to the families in involved," Caffall's sister, Courtney Clark, said in a brief telephone conversation Monday. "We are just saddened by this."

Mental 'difficulties'

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Caffall's mother, Linda Weaver, said her son had been having "difficulties" with his mental health in recent years.

"The minute I saw the TV I knew it was him," she told the online news organization. "I've been that worried about him."

Weaver added that she was horrified by the loss of life. "If you're going to commit suicide, why take all these other people with you?" she said.

Caffall did not have an extensive criminal history.

According to court records in Texas, he was arrested in 2006 for driving with an invalid license and pleaded no contest to a lesser charge.

His Facebook posts reveal a man fascinated by firearms - one of which he called "my new toy" last year - who enjoyed shooting on the range.

Laury Bosley Kasowski of Bremond, a friend of Clark's, has known Caffall for 20 years and last saw him a year ago at his niece's birthday party.

"The Tres I knew was always there at family events. He was a good guy and a good brother," Kasowski said. "I was extremely shocked to find out it was him."

Lindsay Motl Gasek, 35, of College Station met Caffall in elementary school. Both graduated in Bryan High School's class of 1995.

"He was very intelligent and had a good sense of humor," she said. "He seemed like a really nice guy. Nothing stood out good or bad. Just a regular guy. ... That's why this is so shocking. You just wonder what happened along the way."

Students alerted

The deadly incident rocked College Station, surrounding areas and the extended Aggie network.

The university alerted students about the shooting around 12:30 p.m. with a "Code Maroon" that advised those in the area to remain inside their residences.

Summer commencement was Saturday, so many students are not in town this week. Fall classes begin Aug. 27.

Chronicle staff writers Mike Tolson, James Pinkerton and Brian Rogers contributed to this report.

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