Gunman Kills City Worker and Wounds 10 in Midland, Texas, Before Being Found Dead
Police say the suspect, wanted for attempted capital murder of an officer, opened fire and barricaded himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic. The lone fatality was identified as city employee Ed Scott.
A gunman killed one person and wounded 10 others in Midland, Texas, on Friday before barricading himself inside an abandoned building and ultimately being found dead, authorities said. The shooting set off hours of chaos in the West Texas oil city and drew a heavy response from local and state law enforcement.
Police identified the suspect as Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, who they said was already wanted for the attempted capital murder of a police officer. Investigators said Villarreal opened fire on officers and bystanders before retreating into an abandoned veterinary clinic, where he barricaded himself as a standoff unfolded. He was discovered dead inside the building around 12:30 p.m., authorities said.
The lone person killed was identified as Ed Scott, a City of Midland employee. Ten other people were injured in the attack, though authorities did not immediately release a detailed breakdown of their conditions. The motive for the rampage was not immediately clear, and police said the investigation was ongoing.
The violence rattled Midland, a city of roughly 130,000 at the heart of the Permian Basin energy industry. Residents were urged to avoid the area around the standoff as officers, some in tactical gear, converged on the scene and worked to determine whether anyone else was at risk. Streets near the abandoned clinic were closed off for much of the day.
The episode added to a grim national tally of gun violence and underscored the danger such standoffs pose to first responders and civilians alike. Local officials said they were working to support the victims and their families and pledged a full accounting of how the attack unfolded. Authorities asked anyone with information or video from the area to come forward as detectives pieced together the timeline of the shooting and the manhunt that followed.
Originally reported by NBC News.