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Six people have died and over 20 were shot as a gunman went on a shooting rampage in the area of Midland and Odessa, Texas, after an officer attempted to pull his vehicle over for a traffic stop.
How it unfolded
The incident began unraveling at 3:17 pm local time on Saturday when a state trooper attempted to stop a man driving a gold Honda at the interstate linking Midland to Odessa.
The reason the car was stopped in the first place was rather innocuous – the driver had failed to signal a left turn, according to police, as cited by AP.
As the Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit pulled the car over, the driver opened fire from the rear window, injuring one trooper, and proceeded to move towards Odessa while shooting at motorists at random.
At one point, the gunman decided to switch gears and hijacked a postal van from which he continued his shooting spree, sparking a chase. It all came to a showdown between the attacker and police near the Cinergy movie theater at the Music City Mall in Odessa.
me and my mom stopped for pizza and then this is what we say. i’m absolutely terrified for odessa. this is my home. i was so scared that i’d witness a crash right then and there. everyone PLEASE stay safe. my heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/gBFroaAvtR
— onna loves x1 (@cosmicseungmin) September 1, 2019
Videos filmed by witnesses at the scene show the attacker’s truck mounting a curb and police shooting at the suspect. The arrival of police as they engaged the suspect triggered panic among cinema-goers and shoppers, who fled in disarray, leaving shoes and other personal items behind.
Police later confirmed that the attacker was killed on the spot.
My heart just broke… PRAYERS FOR ODESSA! pic.twitter.com/pHdS0Te7uq
— evi (@_annaive) August 31, 2019
The gunman
Little is known about the identity of the gunman and his motives. Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke told a news conference that the suspect had been identified as a white male in his mid-30s. While police said that they “have an idea” about the identity of the shooter, they refused to release more details until they double-check the information.
As reports about the carnage started coming in, there was some confusion as to the number of attackers, with police initially saying there were two cars with two suspects. However, police later confirmed that there was only one gunman, who switched cars.
BREAKING NEWS: Mass shooting in Odessa, Texas. 5 dead, 21 injured. The shooter was driving around shopping centers and fired at random people. The suspect, white male in his mid-30s shot and killed by police. #TexasShooting pic.twitter.com/rd3mZVqnwQ
— Max Howroute▫️ (@howroute) August 31, 2019
The victims
At least 21 civilians suffered gunshot wounds in the rampage, and three law enforcement officers, a DPS trooper in Midland County, a Midland PD officer, and an Odessa PD officer, were injured. Six people were killed and twenty-four injured.
New FULL-LENGTH #VIDEO: The #OdessaTX #activeshooter rams stolen USPS van into Odessa & Midland police before being shot & killed outside the Cinergy Theater
Vid J. Vicknair#breaking #breakingnews #odessa #midlandshooting #Midland #texasshooting #MassShooting #odessashooting pic.twitter.com/VPvZTIII9Y
— Chris (@NewButNotABot) September 1, 2019
