Authorities in Texas arrested a man on Monday morning after he allegedly shot and killed three members of his family inside their home in East Dallas.
The suspect has been identified as 57-year-old James Webb and he is currently being held at Lew Sterrett Jail on charges of capital murder. He was arrested after telling police that he was responsible for the death of his wife and her two sons, the Dallas Police Department wrote in a statement.
According to the arrest warrant (pdf), Webb and his wife, Victoria Ronack Bunton, started arguing after he got angry with Bunton and her two sons for being “too loud.”
Webb told homicide detectives he woke up with a headache around 10 a.m. on Monday, and that during the argument, he shot Bunton and her sons, two teenagers aged 13 and 16.
“During the argument, the suspect produced a handgun and shot the complainant at least two times, causing her death,” according to the arrest affidavit. “The suspect then shot and killed both children, two juvenile males ages 16 and 13.” He then waited an hour before contacting police about the shooting, the arrest warrant said.
Deputy Chief Reuben Ramirez said at a press conference that detectives obtained a search warrant and then recovered multiple shell casings and a handgun from the scene, located at Ash Creek Apartments on John West Road.
“The suspect confirmed details discovered at the crime scene as well as the location of the weapon that he used,” police said.
“This is a horrible scene. This is a horrific incident. Our hearts go out to everyone that is touched by this,” Ramirez told reporters at the scene.
Webb was taken into custody outside his apartment where he met with police responding to an emergency call the suspect made “through his emergency medical alert device.”
“We know that the individual called for service, called for police, and eventually made contact with an alarm company, and the alarm company indicated the police dispatch,” Ramirez said at the press briefing.
According to the affidavit, Webb waited one hour after allegedly committing the triple homicide to call the alarm service, which notified police at about 11 a.m. The suspect then told responding officers he killed his family and agreed with investigators to an interview with homicide detectives without a lawyer present.
The warrants stated that Webb “was tired of all three of the victims yelling,” telling him there is nothing wrong with him after he said he was suffering from a headache. He then decided to shoot and kill them, police said.
Ramirez said the current information is from a preliminary investigation, adding that more information will be released during a second briefing. He also added there is no threat to the public at this time.
A neighbor told FOX affiliate KDFW that Bunton was “sweet.”
“Last time I saw her, she was getting groceries out of the car and the boys were helping her. You would never think that he would do that. And she had a heart. She was so sweet to everybody,” Chanel Lockhart said. “You’d never think that one day he would call and say he killed his kids.”
Another neighbor said he knew the family for about two years and had seen them barbecuing.
“I’ve been knowing them for two years, going with their mama to the grocery store, helping with groceries, getting on the school bus,” Justice Johnson told KDFW.
Webb’s mugshot has not yet been released. It is also unclear if he has an attorney that could speak on his behalf.
The suspect’s bond will be determined by a Dallas County Magistrate, police said.