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

[PommyMommy]

David Gonzalez on Twitter
Midland/Odessa Shooting: FBI says they are responding to an active shooter situation every two weeks. They don’t believe this was terrorism. #MidlandShooting #OdessaShooting #khou11 @KHOU @newswest9

12:45 PM - 1 Sep 2019

Roxie Bustamante on Twitter
FBI says the team that responded to Sutherland Springs shooting is also here in Midland-Odessa investigating. #kens5eyewitness #OdessaShooting
12:47 PM - 1 Sep 2019 from Odessa, TX

Jim Acosta on Twitter
Mother of 17 month old to TX gov via text about Midland/Odessa shooting: “Toddlers are funny, because they can get shot, but still want to run around and play... we are thanking God for that.”
12:49 PM - 1 Sep 2019

 

[GordianKnot]

WATCH LIVE: KPRC 2 News
Live presser at the link.

From the pc:

• Shooter has criminal record.
• Single shooter
• They're pretty confident this was not related to terrorism.
• Weapon used was an AR.
• They're looking into how he obtained that weapon as part of their investigation.
• As far as they know, there were no active warrants out for him at the time of the shooting.
• LE is processing over 15 crime scenes associated with this event.

 

[Elley Mae]

I call bull pucky on not naming him, I for one want to know.

 

[mickey2942]

I call bull pucky on not naming him, I for one want to know.

I think it is related to how he obtained the weapons. And potentially, his military record, or who he is related to...

 

[Elley Mae]

From the live presser:

Shooter has criminal record.

Weapon used was an AR.

They're looking into how he obtained that weapon as part of their investigation.

Ok maybe the connections their looking for is why no name, not to alert ones could also be arrested.

 

[Inthedetails]

I call bull pucky on not naming him, I for one want to know.

I'm thinking the press will file a FOIA or somehow get the info. I can see not naming him beyond the first announcement, but I do think he should be named for the public to know.

If he were arrested instead of killed, his name could not be kept secret as we don't have a judicial system that works in secret.

There is a difference between "not giving notoriety" and "keeping info secret."

jmo

 

[BradB]

I dont think he was searching for notoriety. He was the one who was stopped. Wonder what really went down....

 

[fred&edna]

What was the reporters question about a previous incident the night before?? Answer seemed to be LE was unaware of the possible association. Maybe unimportant but I'm still curious.

 

[Elley Mae]

I dont think he was searching for notoriety. He was the one who was stopped. Wonder what really went down....

Could be his outstanding record, I would assume that LE knew before the sirens were activated they knew who they were dealing with.

 

[LonghornSpeakEasy]

I grew up in Odessa, returned in 1984 after graduating from UT Austin and lived there for another 25 years before moving back to Austin in 2009. This is surreal for me. I am waiting on pins and needles to hear the names of the fatalities and injured. No matter whether I know them or not, they are from my hometown.

As far as the question as to the shooter's path, from my reading of articles and listening to interviews, as well as my personal knowledge of the northeast side of Odessa. It sounds as if he drove west on I20 from the original incident, shooting vehicles on I20, possibly all the way to the Grandview exit as the road was closed that far last night. I think he did a U-turn there and went east on I20 until the Loop 338 exit which he took, turning left, to go north (he was behind someone at that light). He proceeded north on Loop 338 until Hwy 191 (42nd St) where he turned left and proceeded west (he shot people at this intersection.

He proceeded west (probably shooting) until he got to 38th St which intersects 42nd St on the left at an angle and proceeded to either Walnut or Adams where he encountered the mail carrier. After hijacking the mail van, he retraced his steps back to 42nd St, east this time and continued, shooting people, until he ended up at Cinergy. Remember Hwy 191 and 42nd St are the same.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The acting U.S. homeland security secretary calls a mass shooting in West Texas that left at least five people dead “extraordinarily concerning” and describes it and other recent mass shootings as a “homeland security threat.”

Kevin McAleenan told ABC’s “This Week” that Homeland Security Department officials will be “following up aggressively” on the West Texas shooting but didn’t want to jump to any conclusions about the causes or motive.
The Latest: 7 killed in Texas range in age from 15 to 57

 

[GordianKnot]

I'm thinking the press will file a FOIA or somehow get the info. I can see not naming him beyond the first announcement, but I do think he should be named for the public to know.

If he were arrested instead of killed, his name could not be kept secret as we don't have a judicial system that works in secret.

There is a difference between "not giving notoriety" and "keeping info secret."

jmo

Oh, his name will be published, make no mistake about that.

I think the authorities just made a decision that given the mass audience the pc was going to receive, they weren't going to mention him in that setting.

It was a wise decision.
As a society, we really do need to dial back on the notoriety we give to these creeps.
It only serves to perpetuate the problem.

As a society, we're not addressing the root of the problem at all.
It's not about guns.
It's about sociopathy.

JMO.

 

[MsBetsy]

I call bull pucky on not naming him, I for one want to know.

It will come out soon enough. They can't prevent the media from naming him, unfortunately. Imo

 

[MsBetsy]

Double post

 

[Lillymac]

Could be his outstanding record, I would assume that LE knew before the sirens were activated they knew who they were dealing with.

It is SOP to run the plates before they make any contact with the person. Of course they knew who he was if he had a legally registered car.

 

[MsBetsy]

It is SOP to run the plates before they make any contact with the person. Of course they knew who he was if he had a legally registered car.

I wonder if there was a warrant for his arrest and that's why they stopped him.

 

[BradB]

You might be right. Maybe he had a warrant out. I dont know. It's just scary to think if he wasnt stopped what would have happened? He would have gone about his day like any typical day?

I'm not sure what we can do as a society. I dont think there are answers.

 

[Elley Mae]

I wonder if there was a warrant for his arrest and that's why they stopped him.

It was written that he made a left or went to left lane without signaling.

 

[Inthedetails]

It was written that he made a left or went to left lane without signaling.

Yes, it was an attempted traffic stop.

jmo

 

[Lillymac]

I wonder if there was a warrant for his arrest and that's why they stopped him.

No warrant according to chief in the press conference. Also, he said the car never stopped. I don't know if the le had turned on lights and siren it not but he said the guy took off without ever stopping.