The quaint city of Grapevine is called the Christmas Capital of Texas – a spot that’s remodeled annually right into a festive winter wonderland recognized for its vacation extravaganza.
A household had simply completed unwrapping presents on Christmas morning 2011 at a house within the Dallas suburb, when certainly one of their very own, wearing a Santa Claus go well with, opened fireplace in a brutal murder-suicide rampage.
Police arrived on the scene to seek out seven our bodies amongst scattered wrapping paper.
Aziz Yazdanpanah, 56, an Iranian-born father of two, had killed his estranged spouse, their two teenage youngsters, his spouse’s sister, his brother-in-law and his niece on the gathering.
Simply minutes earlier, his niece, 22-year-old Sara Fatemeh Zarei, texted her boyfriend after they arrived on the residence that morning.
“Soo we’re right here. We simply obtained right here and my uncle is right here too. Dressed as Santa. Superior,” she stated in a single textual content simply earlier than 11 a.m. She texted once more at 11:15 a.m., saying: “Now he needs to be all fatherly and win father of the yr.”
Inside 20 minutes, six members of the family had been fatally gunned down.
The person within the purple and white Santa go well with referred to as 911 to report the murders – after which turned the gun on himself.
A Christmas morning bloodbath
Police arrived on the horrific scene on the Lincoln-Vineyards Residences three minutes after Yazdanpanah made the 911 name.
Grapevine police Sgt. Robert Eberling stated police kicked within the door and located seven our bodies among the many opened items and scattered wrapping paper in the lounge.
A tv was on and one of many victims was sporting pajamas, in keeping with reviews on the time.
Yazdanpanah had shot and killed his estranged spouse, Fatemeh Rahmati, 55, their 14-year-old son, Ali, and their 19-year-old daughter, Nona.
He additionally killed his spouse’s sister, Zohreh Rahmaty, 58, her husband, Mohamad Hossein Zarei, 59, and their daughter, Sahra, 22.
Yazdanpanah’s spouse was shot as soon as within the head and his brother-in-law was shot a number of instances within the head, chest and abdomen, a medical expert’s report later revealed. His son, daughter, niece and sister-in-law have been shot a number of instances within the head.
Two handguns have been discovered on the scene: a 9 mm that was bought in 1996 and registered to Yazdanpanah, and a .40 caliber, police stated.
“I’ve been with this police division for 12 years, and that is in all probability some of the tragic issues that I’ve definitely been concerned with,” Eberling stated.
Santa shooter tried to be ‘all fatherly’
One of many victims texted her boyfriend about her uncle simply minutes earlier than she and her household have been gunned down on the residence the place his spouse and kids had been staying.
Sahra Fatemeh Zarei gave the impression to be irritated that her uncle was on the gathering and that he was dressed as Santa Claus and making an attempt to “be all fatherly.”
“Now he needs to be all fatherly and win father of the yr as a result of he [messed] up earlier than,” her ultimate textual content stated, in keeping with police.
The hate amongst members of the family and the truth that Yazdanpanah was apparently instructed he wasn’t welcome to the gathering could have been the ultimate breaking level, household buddy Marc Beglari instructed police, in keeping with data obtained by The Dallas Morning Information.
Beglari, who can be from Iran, instructed police that he spoke to Yazdanpanah on Christmas Eve, and that Yazdanpanah had instructed him that “his sister-in-law had management over his spouse and kids and they might hearken to her when she referred to as him evil.”
However regardless of this, Yazdanpanah was planning to attend the Christmas morning gathering that was being hosted by his estranged spouse’s sister regardless of feeling unwelcome.
“They denied him his pleasure,” Beglari stated. “They took his household away.”
‘I’m taking pictures individuals’
A recording of a 911 name captured the chilling final phrases of the gunman who admitted to the dispatcher that he was taking pictures individuals.
After slaughtering six individuals, Yazdanpanah made the decision at 11:34 a.m. the place he was heard saying “assist” twice after which “I’m taking pictures individuals,” adopted by heavy respiration earlier than the road went useless and he shot himself.
Police imagine that earlier than Yazdanpanah killed himself, he tried to stage the scene by putting one of many two weapons used within the hand of his slain brother-in-law, Mohamad Zarei.
However investigators decided that Zarei had been shot with each weapons and that Yazdanpanah was the one one to fireside the weapons. Eberling stated police imagine he was “overwhelmed” and “determined to take his life as an alternative.”
Santa’s motive
Eberling has stated that detectives imagine Yazdanpanah’s marital and monetary troubles led him to kill his household, however have additionally stated his actual thought course of could by no means be recognized.
Yazdanpanah was a former actual property skilled who was out of labor on the time of the killings. In 1996, he was positioned on three years’ probation after pleading responsible to at least one depend of subscribing to a false revenue tax return, in keeping with federal courtroom data. He was fined $1,000 and required to pay $30,119 in restitution.
In August 2010, Yazdanpanah and his spouse filed collectively for chapter. Mashy Modjdehi, a buddy of Yazdanpanah’s spouse, stated Yazdanpanah had all the time forbidden his spouse to work. However as soon as he was unemployed and their household’s monetary troubles intensified, he modified his thoughts.
Rahmati, who had a state cosmetology license, held down jobs at two spas as she continued to lift their youngsters, the buddy stated.
In April 2011, simply months earlier than the taking pictures, Rahmati moved out of the household’s residence in Colleyville, and into the residence advanced two miles away.
Yazdanpanah remained within the Colleyville residence, which was typically with out electrical energy as he continued to wrestle financially.
The bloodbath stays the deadliest crime within the historical past of Grapevine.
“We by no means actually have encountered a scenario with this many victims that have been shot and killed,” Eberling stated on the time. “That is the worst murder we’ve ever had.”
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The Impartial
#turned #exs #residence #dressed #Santa #shock #children #killed
Andrea Cavallier , 2024-12-21 13:55:00