A dispute between members of two families at a toddler's first birthday party in Texas erupted into gunfire, leaving four men dead and a fifth wounded, police confirmed on Sunday.

The fight broke out Saturday evening in a house in the small town of Taft, on the Gulf Coast near the city of Corpus Christi, said Sergeant Nathan Brandley, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In addition to the four men found dead at the scene, a fifth was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Corpus Christi, Brandley said in a briefing posted on social media. The man's condition was unknown. Other details were scant. It was unclear what had touched off the dispute.

Brandley said the Texas Ranger law enforcement agency was leading an investigation.

Texas laws — including one that allows Texans to carry concealed weapons — make it one of the gun-friendliest states in the country.