The suspect, 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal, already was being sought by authorities when he began firing at police and bystanders in Midland on Friday before barricading himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic, where he was eventually found dead, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Police have provided limited details about how the shooting unfolded. Police arrived in the area after receiving reports of an active shooter, and Mata Villarreal started firing at officers, said Midland Police Chief Greg Snow. Several officers were pinned down behind their patrol cars and had to be rescued by an armoured vehicle, Snow said, but no officers were shot.
Police then got everyone out of the area. “We moved to deny more targets for this active shooter,” Snow said.
A few hours after the shooting began, authorities used robot and drone footage from inside the building to confirm the shooter was dead, Midland Mayor Lori Blong. Police did not say how he died.
A spokesperson for the city identified a man killed in the shooting as Ed Scott, a father and husband who worked in solid waste for Midland. He also did a lot of work with local and regional softball organizations, according to the city.
Friends mourning his death described him in social media posts as a softball umpire and volleyball official who was known for his kindness and jokes.
Mata Villarreal, of nearby Odessa, was wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after firing multiple times at a Midland police officer on Wednesday, the state’s public safety agency said.
The officer, who wasn’t injured, fired back after initially trying to pull over Mata Villarreal, who drove away, investigators said. His vehicle was found empty a short distance away, they said. Police have not said why the officer tried to stop Mata Villarreal.
Friday’s standoff happened about a kilometre from where the shots were fired at the police officer Wednesday.
Police have not said why Mata Villarreal began shooting on Friday or provided any details about the victims, including who they were, how they were shot or the conditions of those still hospitalized.
Midland Memorial Hospital said four people who were brought there underwent surgery and that five had been treated and released.
Calls to numbers listed for some relatives of Mata Villarreal in Texas went unanswered Friday or appeared to be lines that had been disconnected.
Mata Villarreal had several previous encounters with law enforcement, including some arrests, records show.
He was convicted on a 2009 charge of unlawfully carrying a firearm in San Angelo, according to Texas criminal history records.
