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4 Children, 2 Adults Killed In Apparent Domestic Dispute In Texas

This post was updated at 11:10 a.m. ET.

A man suspected in the shooting deaths of four children and two adults surrendered to police in a Houston suburb after a three-hour standoff Wednesday night.

The alleged gunman has been identified as Ronald Lee Haskell, 33, who has been charged with multiple counts of capital murder.

Police haven't released the identities of the victims from the shooting in Spring, Texas, but Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland said the dead included two boys, ages 4 and 14; two girls, ages 7 and 9; a 39-year-old man; and a 33-year-old woman, according to The Associated Press.

Houston Public Media's Jack Williams reports:

"The shootings happened at a home on a quiet, tree-lined street in a suburb about 20 miles north of Houston.

"The suspect, described as a man in his 30s, could be seen holding his hands above his head as he gave up."

Houston's KHOU.com says: "Deputies responded to a shooting and found the victims. The sole survivor, a 15-year-old female, told authorities the gunman was on his way to another home to kill more relatives. The deputies beat him to that home."

Initial reports said the gunman is the father of some or all of the children who were shot, but the AP now says only that Haskell was estranged from a woman related to the two adult victims. The surviving 15-year-old is their daughter, according to the AP.

Assistant Chief Deputy Constable Mark Herman of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office told reporters that Haskell "gathered up the children" and "awaited the arrival of the parents.

"Some time later the victims were shot in the residence," he said. Hickman said Haskell "came in the guise of a FedEx driver wearing a FedEx shirt." It was not clear whether Haskell was a FedEx employee, the AP says.

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Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
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