Texas shooting: Seven dead after ‘white male’ opens fire in Midland and Odessa
Seven people have been killed and at least 19 injured in a mass shooting in west Texas, police have said.
Officers initially said that two shooters may have been at large. Later, they said those fears had proven unfounded, with the lone attacker having used two vehicles.
The shooter who opened fire in Midland and Odessa was a white male in his 30s, the Odessa Police Department said.
The incident began when a highway patrol officer stopped the driver and was shot, at about 3.17pm on Saturday. The shooter then drove into Odessa and onto the city’s 42nd Street, where many of his victims were shot. He then hijacked a postal van, causing more casualties, police said.
Midland police posted on Facebook that the gunman had eventually been shot and killed outside a Cinergy cinema. The police initially reported a death toll of five people, with the number rising to seven the following day.
Local broadcaster CBS7, which was forced to evacuate its TV studio during the incident, has reported among those shot are a 17-month-old child, who was left with shrapnel in her chest, and a postal worker who died of her injuries.
At least one person is still believed to be in a critical condition following the incident.
Shortly after the shooter was taken down, Odessa police chief Michael Gerke said in a press conference: "This was a joint effort by a multitude of departments to find this animal and bring him to justice”.
Asked if the suspect had been identified, Mr Gerke said: “He is a white male in his 30s. I don’t have a positive identification on him yet – I have an idea who he is but I won’t release that information until we’re absolutely positive.
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A statement from Texas governor Greg Abbot said: “The first lady and I are heartbroken over this senseless and cowardly attack, and we offer our unwavering support to the victims, their families and all the people of Midland and Odessa.
“I want to remind all Texans that we will not allow the Lone Star State to be overrun by hatred and violence. We will unite, as Texans always do, to respond to this tragedy.”
The state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, said: “I am horrified to see such a senseless act terrorise the fine people of the Permian Basin. Thank you to the courageous local and state first responders who worked quickly today to stop this evil attack.”
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