A shooting in midland texas left one person dead and 10 others wounded after the suspect allegedly opened fire at officers and bystanders, Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Blanco identified the deceased suspect as Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, and said he barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic in downtown Midland. Mayor Lori Blong said police used robot and drone footage to confirm the shooter was dead inside the building, though it is unclear how he died.
Midland Police Chief Greg Snow said officers were first dispatched at 8:03 a.m. local time for a disturbance involving weapons and shots fired. Snow said the incident began in southeast Midland, progressed across south Midland, and prompted a large multi-agency response.
Snow said agencies used armored vehicles to extricate officers who were pinned behind patrol cars and to rescue civilians trapped in their vehicles. He said police then moved down Highway 80 to deny the shooter additional targets and to secure the perimeter.
Response Investigation And Victims
The multi-agency response included the FBI, HSI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Odessa Police Department, and Ector and Midland County sheriff’s offices, Snow said. FBI El Paso deployed special agents and victim services personnel to the scene to assist.
Snow confirmed several officers exchanged gunfire during the incident, and he said that those exchanges will be investigated by the Texas Rangers and the DPS. Midland Memorial Hospital said it received nine victims from the shooting, and that four were sent to the operating room.
As of 2:30 p.m. local time the hospital reported five victims had been discharged, three were out of the operating room, and one remained in surgery. The hospital’s main campus was on lockdown for nearly two hours because of the shooting.
Witness Andrea Mendias told The Associated Press she heard what sounded like a small explosion at the closed veterinary clinic next to her workplace, and that she previously heard what she believed were at least 40 gunshots. Video she recorded showed officers exiting an armored vehicle and police deploying robots.
Blanco said Mata Villarreal was wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after firing multiple times at a Midland officer on Wednesday, about a half mile from Friday’s shooting location. The officer was uninjured after an attempted traffic stop, Blanco said.
According to the AP, Mata Villarreal was convicted in 2009 of unlawfully carrying a gun in San Angelo and had prior arrests in 2003 and 2004 for unlawfully carrying a weapon and unlawful possession of a prohibited weapon. Additional charges were dismissed as part of plea agreements, the report said.
Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on social media that he and Cecilia are deeply saddened by the violence and are praying for victims, their families, and the community, the governor’s post stated.
