Two people were killed and at least 22 others injured in Texas when gunfire broke out late on Saturday night at what was described as a "massive house party" in the suburbs of Houston, the sheriff's office said on Sunday.
More than 100 people had been inside the home in the middle-class suburban neighborhood of Cypress when the shooting erupted at about 11 p.m. on Saturday night, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
A man and a woman were killed. Most of the injured were wounded by bullets, although some injured themselves in a panicked rush to escape, the statement said.
A local news channel showed images of a mangled garage door that had been forced off its tracks by fleeing party-goers.
Investigators were looking for two suspects. But further details on the cause of the shooting, whether the suspects were guests at the party, and the type of weapon or weapons used were not immediately available.
The injured, including some in critical condition, were taken to five different hospitals in the area, by ambulance and by private vehicle. The sheriff office's statement described the party guests as "mostly young adults".
The party was advertised on the Twitter social networking website as an 18-year-old's birthday celebration, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The victims have not been identified.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene to the newspaper and local news channels, with victims lying bloodied on the floor and others rushing to neighboring homes for help.
"It sounded like a balloon popping," A. Henry, a 19-year-old party guest, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. He said he was in the kitchen when the shooting began, and heard perhaps 10 or 12 shots fired over several minutes, the newspaper reported.
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