TX - Gunman in Hijacked Mail Truck, multiple victims, Midland/Odessa, 31 August 2019

[tabitha111]

Seth Ator: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

 

[LonghornSpeakEasy]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...high-school-student-beloved-uncle-father-two/
[...]

A former math teacher was shot while sitting at a traffic light with his wife and children. A beloved uncle was hit outside the home he had just moved out of. A high school student bled out after leaving a dealership where her brother had just picked up the keys to his new car.

[...]

Here are some of the people who did not survive, according to loved ones who spoke to The Washington Post and other media outlets — and the stories of the reeling friends and family they left behind.

Edwin Peregrino was visiting his parents in Odessa when he heard gunshots outside.

At first, they appeared to be coming from afar.

But when he ran into the yard to investigate, according to his older sister, a gunman sped by and opened fire, killing Peregrino just outside the home he’d moved out of weeks earlier.

[...]

Leilah Hernandez had just celebrated her quinceañera in May.

[...]

The party lived up to the Odessa High School student’s excitement, Leyva said. She looked and felt like a princess in an enormous green dress. “It was like a dream for her,” Leyva said.

Leyva told The Post that Leilah’s mother has been in a kind of daze as she mourns her daughter’s death. She is relieved to be stuck at the Odessa hospital, where dozens of relatives wait for updates on Leilah’s wounded brother, Nathan, still in the Intensive Care Unit, because she dreads going home to Leilah’s room, Leyva said.

[...]

Carla Byrne, the oldest sister of Joseph Griffith, 40, told The Post that her brother was killed by the gunman while sitting at a traffic light with his wife and two children.

“This maniac pulled up next to him and shot him, took away his life, murdered my baby brother. Like nothing,” she said. “We are so broken.”

Byrne recalled her brother’s sense of humor, hallmarked by an uncanny ability to impersonate anyone. But nothing, she said, superseded his devotion to his wife and children.

He worked six days a week to support them, she added.

[...]

Mary Granados, 29, was nearing the end of her shift as a letter carrier when the gunman hijacked her vehicle, twin sister Rosie Granados told CNN.

Rosie told the network that she heard her sibling scream on the phone as she was shot.

“It was very painful,” she said. “I just wanted to help her, and I couldn’t. I thought she had got bit by a dog or something. I tried calling her name, and she wouldn’t answer.”

Knowing her sister’s mail route, Rosie drove off to find her, CNN reported.

[...]

I realized earlier today that Joe Griffith's wife babysat my boys when she was a teenager and they were in elementary school. She was a lovely young girl and I am heartbroken for her and her two young children. I have not spoken with her in many years but somehow just personally knowing someone so deeply affected by this tragedy has depressed me to no end. Becky and her children have had their lives altered in such a horrible way and I feel so helpless.

 

[PommyMommy]

I realized earlier today that Joe Griffith's wife babysat my boys when she was a teenager and they were in elementary school. She was a lovely young girl and I am heartbroken for her and her two young children. I have not spoken with her in many years but somehow just personally knowing someone so deeply affected by this tragedy has depressed me to no end. Becky and her children have had their lives altered in such a horrible way and I feel so helpless.

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! (((Hugs)))

 

[PommyMommy]

Shooting Spree Across 15 Miles in West Texas Terrorized Two Towns and Killed 7

• On Sunday, authorities continued to collect evidence from more than 15 crime scenes, scattered along highways, car dealerships and shopping malls, marked by police tape, bullet-riddled cars, and a wrecked postal van.
• Although LE said in interviews that SA had been fired from his job with a trucking company on Saturday morning, they stressed that they had not yet established a clear motive to explain the level of violence and firepower.
• The chief said it was not immediately known whether SA had legally purchased the rifle.
• While SA had a criminal record, there were no open warrants for his arrest when LE tried to pull him over Saturday afternoon.
• On Sunday afternoon, federal agents executed a search warrant at SA’s residence, in a remote area of mobile homes at the western edge of Ector County, which includes Odessa.
• A neighbor described RA as a “loner” who kept to himself and who sometimes frightened her because he was always firing guns outside.
• The white postal van and the Odessa police vehicle remained where they were when the shooting had ended. ATF agents were among the officers examining the crime scene on Sunday.
• A spokesman for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa said Sunday evening that a total of 10 people injured in the shooting spree remained at its hospital — one in critical condition, two in serious condition and seven in fair condition. One patient had been released.

 

[Tillicum]

Although the shooter's name is not being broadcast, I am curious to know, what contributed to this man doing this?
He's no teenager set to avenge classmates he felt slighted him.
I've read that he has a record. What kind of record?
Does he have a history of mental illness?
Violence?
If so, how did he get his gun or guns?
Did he do drugs?
Did he follow a religion?
I do not care what his name is. I care what his character was.
I truly think that the more we analyze these people, the closer we will get to seeing the warning signs for mass murderers.

In my opinion, this jerk planned to kill ever single person he pointed and fired his gun at.
Thank God he was not a good marksman.
And, why is it mostly boys and men who do these terrible things?

BBM I was wondering the same thing earlier today. Was thinking how women are often better shots than men and we would possibly be hearing of more casualties IMO.

 

[Lillymac]

And wasn't held accountable for these gun-related misbehaviors? Snipped and bolded by me.

I wonder if these were reported to the police.

 

[Tillicum]

IDK what the motive was or how far in advance it was planned but the gun was obviously loaded before the traffic stop happened. Not to mention all the ammunition he had at hand.

 

[Lillymac]

Although the shooter's name is not being broadcast, I am curious to know, what contributed to this man doing this?
He's no teenager set to avenge classmates he felt slighted him.
I've read that he has a record. What kind of record?
Does he have a history of mental illness?
Violence?
If so, how did he get his gun or guns?
Did he do drugs?
Did he follow a religion?
I do not care what his name is. I care what his character was.
I truly think that the more we analyze these people, the closer we will get to seeing the warning signs for mass murderers.

In my opinion, this jerk planned to kill ever single person he pointed and fired his gun at.
Thank God he was not a good marksman.
And, why is it mostly boys and men who do these terrible things?

Although it hasn't been mentioned, I am wondering if it was a case of suicide by cops. A friend who has family there told me she had been told he was on the LE's radar and maybe they were tailing him. This is not from an LE source,so delete if not allowed.

 

[MsFacetious]

And wasn't held accountable for these gun-related misbehaviors? Snipped and bolded by me.

The neighbor in this article called and reported that he threatened her with a rifle. The cops said the address didn’t exist and couldn’t locate it. Which seems to coincide with what reporters have also found out.

I wonder if these were reported to the police.

Yes, at least the threatening was. It’s been linked in the thread and I know someone else will post it shortly.

 

[Lillymac]

IDK what the motive was or how far in advance it was planned but the gun was obviously loaded before the traffic stop happened. Not to mention all the ammunition he had at hand.

My thoughts exactly. Who drives around with an assault rifle and loaded clips?

 

[Inthedetails]

Shooting Spree Across 15 Miles in West Texas Terrorized Two Towns and Killed 7

• On Sunday, authorities continued to collect evidence from more than 15 crime scenes, scattered along highways, car dealerships and shopping malls, marked by police tape, bullet-riddled cars, and a wrecked postal van.
• Although LE said in interviews that SA had been fired from his job with a trucking company on Saturday morning, they stressed that they had not yet established a clear motive to explain the level of violence and firepower.
• The chief said it was not immediately known whether SA had legally purchased the rifle.
• While SA had a criminal record, there were no open warrants for his arrest when LE tried to pull him over Saturday afternoon.
• On Sunday afternoon, federal agents executed a search warrant at SA’s residence, in a remote area of mobile homes at the western edge of Ector County, which includes Odessa.
• A neighbor described RA as a “loner” who kept to himself and who sometimes frightened her because he was always firing guns outside.
• The white postal van and the Odessa police vehicle remained where they were when the shooting had ended. ATF agents were among the officers examining the crime scene on Sunday.
• A spokesman for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa said Sunday evening that a total of 10 people injured in the shooting spree remained at its hospital — one in critical condition, two in serious condition and seven in fair condition. One patient had been released.

He got fired that very day?

 

[margarita25]

Opinion: We analyzed 53 years of mass shooting data. Attacks aren't just increasing, they're getting deadlier
SEP. 1, 2019

“If you look at mass shootings over time, two things are alarmingly clear: The attacks are becoming far more frequent, and they are getting deadlier.”

(ETA: I’m looking for my 10 year prediction chart, can’t find it, I started it then ran out of time on the post, I’ll find it somewhere, it may be in the Ohio or El Paso thread)
—

Shooting Spree Across 15 Miles in West Texas Terrorized Two Towns and Killed 7

• On Sunday, authorities continued to collect evidence from more than 15 crime scenes, scattered along highways, car dealerships and shopping malls, marked by police tape, bullet-riddled cars, and a wrecked postal van.
• Although LE said in interviews that SA had been fired from his job with a trucking company on Saturday morning, they stressed that they had not yet established a clear motive to explain the level of violence and firepower.
• The chief said it was not immediately known whether SA had legally purchased the rifle.
• While SA had a criminal record, there were no open warrants for his arrest when LE tried to pull him over Saturday afternoon.
• On Sunday afternoon, federal agents executed a search warrant at SA’s residence, in a remote area of mobile homes at the western edge of Ector County, which includes Odessa.
• A neighbor described RA as a “loner” who kept to himself and who sometimes frightened her because he was always firing guns outside.
• The white postal van and the Odessa police vehicle remained where they were when the shooting had ended. ATF agents were among the officers examining the crime scene on Sunday.
• A spokesman for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa said Sunday evening that a total of 10 people injured in the shooting spree remained at its hospital — one in critical condition, two in serious condition and seven in fair condition. One patient had been released.

From above:

“A neighbor described RA as a “loner””

Which shooter out of the last, let’s say ten, mass shootings was NOT a loner? Serious question.

—-

“As of September 1, which was the 244th day of the year, there have been 283 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive (GVA), which tracks every mass shooting in the country. The GVA defines a mass shooting as any incident in which at least four people were shot, excluding the shooter.”

There have been more mass shootings than days this year

(ETA: didn’t they say this same thing last year? Moo)

 

[Lillymac]

He got fired that very day?

I wonder what the name or location of the trucking company is. He could have been heading there.

 

[MsBetsy]

Although it hasn't been mentioned, I am wondering if it was a case of suicide by cops. A friend who has family there told me she had been told he was on the LE's radar and maybe they were tailing him. This is not from an LE source,so delete if not allowed.

Yeah, I think in most cases mass murderers do not expect to to be taken alive, and do not intend to.
Imo

 

[margarita25]

My thoughts to the media, moo:

I’m a little concerned that the big picture which is CLEARLY NATIONWIDE is being aimed and blamed at/on Texas somewhat imo it seems from browsing some articles, moo.

If we are going to talk about mass shooters IMO, we need to look at them as a whole, that they exist in various US States. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red or blue state, etc.

Whether one is aiming at gay people in a Fla nightclub, or Jewish persons peacefully praying in a Pittsburgh synagogue, or people at a country music concert in Vegas or persons in a Colorado movie theater or the list goes on and on...my point is this is a COLLECTIVE problem in America and I want that to remain in focus for these reporters. Moo.

 

[MassGuy]

I wonder what the name or location of the trucking company is. He could have been heading there.

That’s a very interesting thought.

He was just fired, and most mass shootings after a person is fired, seem to take place at the workplace.

Perhaps him being pulled over interrupted those plans, and he redirected his rage on society as a whole.

 

[Lillymac]

That’s a very interesting thought.

He was just fired, and most mass shootings after a person is fired, seem to take place at the workplace.

Perhaps him being pulled over interrupted those plans, and he redirected his rage on society as a whole.

I'd really like to know the name of the company as I have a friend who owns a very large and old trucking company there. It's probably the oldest in Odessa.
He was fired that morning and I'm thinking he had to go home and get his gun and ammo. Sounds like a motive to me. Maybe I can figure it out using Google.

 

[Kubirai]

My thoughts exactly. Who drives around with an assault rifle and loaded clips?

I find similarities in a few recent incidents, although they occured indoors.

Aurora, IL mass murder at Henry Pratt company ... GM knew he may be fired on Friday, Feb 15, 2019.

He came to the meeting with a loaded gun. He killed colleagues and ambushed police officers at the lobby.

Morgan Hill Ford employee got fired and went to his car to get the loaded gun.

Virginia Beach killer DC resigned by email and came to the office with a loaded gun.

 

[Kubirai]

I'd really like to know the name of the company as I have a friend who owns a very large and old trucking company there. It's probably the oldest in Odessa.
He was fired that morning and I'm thinking he had to go home and get his gun and ammo. Sounds like a motive to me. Maybe I can figure it out using Google.

If the LinkedIn page was really created by him, it may have been after the firing. It uses a vulgar company name but uses Midland as the location.

 

[Inthedetails]

"The woman told CNN that Seth Ator, 36, would often sit on top of his home and shoot animals at night, which he would then go and retrieve afterwards....

Ator would often sit and sleep inside his Toyota Camry with the heat on when the weather would get to cold, the woman said. He also had no running water."

https://nypost.com/2019/09/01/texas-mass-shooter-threatened-neighbor-shot-animals-from-roof-report/