Texas shooting: Names of victims released by City of Odessa

ODESSA, Texas — More than half a dozen people died Saturday after a man opened fire, apparently at random, shooting several people in Odessa and Midland, Texas, after a trooper tried to pull him over for a routine traffic stop, according to authorities.

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Officials said seven people were killed in the shooting, including a man slain outside his parents' home and a teenager fatally shot as she left a car dealership with her family. Officials said 22 other people were injured.

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Odessa police Chief Michael Gerke said the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Seth Aaron Ator, abandoned his vehicle during the subsequent chase and stole a United States Postal Service truck. He was shot and killed by officers outside a busy movie theater in Odessa.

Update 6:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 2: The City of Odessa released a list of those injured and those who died in the shooting.

The slain victims were identified as:

Leilah Hernandez, 15, Odessa, Texas
Joe Griffith, 40, Odessa, Texas
Mary Granados, 29, Odessa, Texas
Edwin Peregrino, 25, Odessa, Texas
Rodolfo Julio Arco, 57, Odessa, Texas
Kameron Karltess Brown, 30, Brownwood, Texas
Raul Garcia, 35, El Paso, Texas

Twenty two people have been reported as injured in the shooting. They include:

Nathan Hernandez, 18, Odessa, Texas
Marc Gonzales, 38, Odessa, Texas
Zachary Owens of the Midland Police Department
Timmoth Beard, 55, San Antonio, Texas
James Santana of the Odessa Police Department
Glenda Dempsy, 62, Odessa, Texas
Marco Corral, 62, San Diego, California
Coy Edge, 53, Odessa, Texas
Joseph Glide, 60, Odessa, Texas
Anderson Davis, 17 months, Odessa, Texas
Daniel Munoz, 28, Yuma, Arizona
Robert Cavasoz, 38, Alice, Texas
Maria Boado, 27, Haileah, Florida
Efe Obayagbona, 45, Round Rock, Texas
Bradley Grimsley, 64, Clarksville, Texas
Chuck Pryor of the Texas Department of Public Safety
Timmothy Hardaway, 54, Brownwood
Quadri Fatai, 41, Houston
Jesus Alvidrez, 21, Gardendale, Texas
Lilia Diaz, 46, Odessa, Texas
Krystal Lee, 36, Odessa, Texas
Larry Shores, 34, Abilene, Texas

Update 3:40 p.m. EDT Sept. 2: Odessa police Chief Michael Gerke confirmed Monday that Ator was fired from his job at Journey Oil Field Services before Saturday's deadly shooting. Authorities said he called police and the FBI between his dismissal and the beginning of Saturday's apparently random shooting.

Gerke said both Ator and officials with Journey Oil Field Services called 911 after Ator was fired Saturday. The 36-year-old was gone by the time police showed up, officials said.

FBI special agent Christopher Combs said Monday that Ator called the FBI tip line after he was fired and that he made "rambling" statements. Combs said Ator did not make any threats.

Authorities said that about 15 minutes after the call to the FBI, a trooper attempted to stop Ator for failing to signal a lane change. Authorities say Ator opened fire on the troopers and fled, shooting at random passers-by and vehicles.

Combs said Ator "was on a long spiral down" before Saturday's shooting. He described Ator's home as "a strange residence" and said the condition of his house "reflect what his mental state was going into this."

Update 1:05 p.m. EDT Sept. 2: Citing unidentified sources, The New York Times reported Monday that Ator was employed by a trucking company which fired him hours before Saturday's shooting spree.

The Times did not name the trucking company and noted that "authorities stressed that they had not yet established a clear motive to explain the level of violence and firepower" used by Ator.

Update 3:55 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: Officials with the United States Postal Service confirmed in a statement that one of its employees was a shooting victim, the AP reported. Mary Granados, 29, was killed when Ator shot her when hijacking her mail carrier truck.

Post office officials say Granados was alone in the truck at the time and the company's law enforcement is working with authorities.

Update 3:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: The gunman in the shootings was identified by Odessa Police Department officials as 36-year-old Seth Aaron Ator of Odessa, Texas. No other information was given in the update on the department's Facebook page.

Update 3:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: The Associated Press reported that the gunman in the shooting has been identified as Seth Ator, citing two law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The AP reported that records show Ator was 36.

Update 1:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: Orlando Alanis, the regional director of the West Texas region of the Texas Department of Public Safety gave an update on the trooper who was shot by the gunman, saying he underwent hours of surgery. He said doctors are optimistic about his recovery, although he will require rehabilitation. Of the gunman, he said there was "some criminal record attached to his drivers license."

FBI special agent in charge Christopher Combs said federal officials are supporting local departments. He said searches are underway to ensure no one else is involved, and it is not believed that the shooting was an act of terrorism.

Gerke said it is unclear how the gunman obtained a weapon, but it was an "AR-type weapon."

Update 1:40 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared an update from the mother of the 17-month-old toddler who was injured in the shooting. The text thanked supporters, adding that only her lip, teeth and tongue were affected, not her jaw. The mother said her daughter will undergo surgery tomorrow for shrapnel in her chest.

Update 1:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: Odessa Police Department Chief Michael Gerke said in a news conference Sunday afternoon that authorities are "fairly certain the subject acted alone" in the shooting.

Gerke said officials will not be giving the shooter notoriety by naming him, but the name will be released at a later time.

Gerke said those dead are citizens who range in age from 15 to 57. Of the 22 people injured in the shooting, three are in law enforcement.

Update 12:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 1: President  Donald Trump made some initial remarks on the shooting when he arrived at the White House, vaguely saying that he met with multiple senators about gun reform.

"We have a lot of groups working on it," Trump said, according to CNN. "I've been speaking to a lot of senators, a lot of house members … People want to do something."

Trump seemed to be open to background checks, but wasn't specific. He also claimed stronger background checks wouldn't necessarily be effective.

"For the most part, sadly, if you look at the last four or five, even going back further five, six, seven years… As strong as you make your background checks, they would not have stopped any of it," he said.
He referred to the shooter as "another very sick person."

Earlier, Trump tweeted praise of emergency responders and law enforcement in the shooting.

Update 10:30 a.m. EDT Sept. 1: Seven people have now been confirmed dead in the Texas shootings, according to The Associated Press.

Steve LeSueur of the Odessa Police Department said Sunday at least one person remains in “life-threatening” condition.

A news conference is scheduled for noon.

Update 7:11 a.m. EDT Sept. 1: In a tweet, the Ector County Independent School District confirmed a student in the district was killed in Saturday's shooting.left five people dead and 21 injured in the Odessa-Midland area of West Texas.

"We are heartbroken and outraged by the violence that struck our community and our school district today. We are learning that we have lost friends, family members, as well as one of our students. Our lives have been changed forever," the district said in a statement that was posted on Twitter.

Update 4:18 a.m. EDT Sept. 1: Russell Tippin, CEO of Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, said 13 people were being treated after Saturday's shootings in Odessa and Midland that left five people dead and 21 injured.

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, Tippin said eight people have had surgery and that seven are in critical condition. The other person died, Tippin told the newspaper.\

Tippin also said two people have been treated and released, according to the Reporter-Telegram.

At a news conference earlier Saturday, Tippin said it was important to keep family members close.

“If you are listening to my voice, grasp onto loved ones and hold onto them and pray for this town and family and victims involved,” Tippin said. “This is a scary incident, and no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Give thoughts and prayers to families and victims in this tragic incident.”

Update 9:55 p.m. EDT Aug. 31: The suspect used a rifle in the shooting, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Elizabeth Carter told CNN.

The Department of Public Safety Trooper who was shot is in serious but stable condition, Carter said. The Midland police officer and Odessa police officer who were also shot are also said to be in stable condition.

Russell Tippin, CEO of Medical Center Health System in Odessa, said in a press conference that one of the shooting victims is younger than 2 years old. The child was flown to either a Dallas or Lubbock hospital, Tippin said.

Update 7:10 p.m. EDT: At least five people have been killed and 21 injured, including three law enforcement officers, in the shooting, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke said.

The injured include a Trooper, a Midland police officer and an Odessa police officer, Gerke said.

The suspect, who is dead, was a white male in his mid-30s, Gerke said. His name hasn't been disclosed.

The altercation started with a traffic stop conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, police said.

At this time, police believe there was only one shooter.

Update 6:55 p.m. EDT: Midland Mayor Jerry Morales told CNN that one person was killed and 21 others were injured in Saturday's shootings. Two of those injured are law enforcement officers, Morales said.

Midland Memorial Hospital is on lockdown, according to its Facebook page.

Update 6:40 p.m. EDT: Midland police officials have confirmed the shooter has been shot and killed in Odessa, according to a Midland PD Facebook post.

"There is no active shooter at this time. All agencies are investigating reports of possible suspects," the post said.

Original report: Multiple people were shot Saturday afternoon in Midland and Odessa, Odessa police said. Authorities advised drivers to get off the roads.

A shooter stole a mail truck and is shooting at random people in Odessa, police said. There were also reports of a shooter at the Cinergy in Midland driving a gold or white Toyota truck, Midland police said.

There were early reports of multiple shooters, but police later said they believe there was only one shooter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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