The suspect in a Texas party shooting that left eight people dead reportedly was unhappy that his estranged wife was moving on with her life after filing for divorce.
The incident took place when Spencer James Hight opened fire on a group of people attending a cookout hosted by his estranged wife, Meredith Hight, on Sunday, the New York Daily News reported.
According to reports Spencer Hight had crashed the event, which featured several of Meredith Hight's friends and colleagues.
Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin explained that police were alerted to the incident when a concerned resident complained about multiple shots fired in West Spring Creek Parkway.
The responding officer arrived at the scene while the shooting was still in progress, the Daily News reported.
He reacted by shooting and killing the suspect but was unable to save the eight victims, which included Meredith Hight.
Meredith Hight’s mother has since spoken out about the incident, claiming that Spencer Hight was upset that his estranged wife was moving on after filing for divorce earlier this year.
"It was officially 'out with the old and in with the new,'" Debbie Lane told WFAA on Tuesday. "It was her reclaiming her life, and she was thrilled to be doing that. It was the happiest she'd been in years."
She went on to say, "I think he saw our comfort, ease, and happiness... and her embracing new life, and resented it to the maximum and responded the way he did."
Debbie Lane said her daughter only admitted to having marriage problems when she filed for divorce in July.
"She told us he was an alcoholic and that she worked for two years to try and help him," she said.
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