The person police believe shot six family members in a Grapevine apartment on Christmas before killing himself was dressed as Santa Claus, according to a police spokesman.
Grapevine Police Lt. Todd Dearing said police are still working out the full timeline of the massacre, the bloodiest incident in Grapevine history. The victims were found beside open gifts near a Christmas tree at an apartment in the 2500 block of Hall-Johnson Road, according to police."We don't know if he was with them or he came over later," Dearing said, referring to the man police believe was the killer.Two handguns were found at the scene. Police say one of the dead, a middle-aged man, is suspected of being responsible for what is apparently a murder-suicide.Police have said some of the victims were seated on furniture, and others were slumped on the floor.Two of the women and one man were 18 to 20, police said. The other women were older, and the other men were in their 50s. Paramedics who arrived at the scene shortly after the police determined that all the victims were dead.All seven deceased were "related either by blood or marriage," Dearing said. Three of the victims lived in the apartment, he said.The names of the victims had not yet been released as of Monday morning."We're waiting on the autopsy report and for the medical examiner's office to contact next of kin and confirm identities," Grapevine police Sgt. Robert Eberling said. "Hopefully by the end of the day or tomorrow morning, we should know a bit more."Late Sunday, bodies were still as they had been found in the apartment while investigators searched for clues. Dearing said investigators worked on the scene until about 2 a.m. Monday before breaking for the night."The detectives are back in this morning and looking at a few things," Dearing said.Police received a 911 call from the Lincoln Vineyards Apartments late Christmas morning, but no one spoke on the other end.When a patrolman arrived at an apartment near neighbor Claire Comparato's to check things out, he saw bodies slumped around the living room. No one answered the door. When officers forced their way in, they discovered four women and three men lying dead around newly opened presents and a Christmas tree.(This report includes material from Star-Telegram archives.)Aman Batheja, 817-390-7695Twitter: @amanbatheja
Apparent murder-suicide leaves 7 dead in Grapevine
Strange, but true: Get more crime news in our "Crime Time" blog 
Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
