The teen shooter responsible for injuring two police officers in a Grand Prairie shooting that led authorities on a Christmas day manhunt was identified as 16-year-old Peyton Cole Barbour, CBS News reported.
Barbour, of Mansfield, was identified by by the Dallas County Medical Examiner on Thursday as the primary suspect.
The incident began around 4:30 a.m. on Christmas morning as police officers performed traffic stops near Joe Pool Lake. After Barbour exited his car, he opened fire at officers who returned fire, shooting the suspect once.
The teen was able to flee the incident, prompting the officers to create a perimeter and call in a helicopter and K-9 units for help.
At 2 p.m., authorities located Barbour and approached him, though he shot at officers, shooting one in the hand and the other in the foot. Both were treated for injuries and released from Dallas Methodist Hospital.
The officers returned fire after being shot at and hit Barbour several times, resulting in his death.
"The thing we wanted to prevent most was the suspect getting into someone's home, taking someone hostage," said Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye. "For that very reason, we unfortunately had to use deadly force as we could not allow him to get back in the neighborhood and possibly do that."
During the manhunt for Barbour, local residents were notified about the incident and warned to use caution if they left their homes.
The teen was a sophomore at Mansfield Lake Ridge High School, who released a statement about his death on Thursday.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the student's family during this tragic time. We are also thankful that according to new reports, the police officers injured have since been released from the hospital," the statement read.
The district also plans to have grief counselors available to students and faculty.
