A father was shot and killed as he picked up his 3-year-old daughter at an Arlington day care Friday by a gunman who then killed himself, police said.
It happened outside the Country Day School of Arlington Montessori.
Neighbors called 911 to report the sound of gunfire at about 5:45 p.m., police said.
"I was taking out the trash, and I heard gunshots,” said neighbor Dana Downs. “I heard, ‘Boom, boom,’ pause, ‘Boom,’ and then I heard, ‘Boom, boom, boom.’ I heard a total of six gunshots, which got my attention."
The girl witnessed the shooting but was not injured, Sgt. Os Flores said.
The father, identified only as a man in his 40s, was rushed to a hospital but later died.
Police said the suspect, a man in his 20s, turned the gun on himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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"It is early [in the] investigation, however, we believe this was a murder-suicide,” Flores said.
Police said the suspect and the father knew each other but were not related.
"I believe this person perhaps knew where this other individual was going, so there appears to be some history between them in the past," Flores said.
Police said the shooter also had a history at the University of Texas at Arlington but would not elaborate. UTA officers were also at the scene investigating.
"They're still looking into all potential reasons for this,” Flores said.
Downs said the sound of gunfire is not common in the quiet neighborhood near West Randol Mill Road and Davis Street.
"It's very disturbing because we have children,” she said. “It's scary. It's scary to think that could even happen in our own neighborhood."
The 3-year-old girl was the last one to get picked up at the school and no other children were there at the time, police said.
