2019 Midland-Odessa Shooting

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

Overview

The 2019 Midland-Odessa Shooting was a mass shooting that took place on August 31st, 2019 in Midland and Odessa Texas. There, a gunman identified as Seth Aaron Ator shot a police officer and led police on a chase between Midland and Odessa, killing seven people and injuring 25 before being shot and killed by police.

Background

On August 31st, 2019, the suspect shot a police officer with an AR-15-style rifle after he was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 20 in Texas between Midland and Odessa. He then drove off towards Odessa, where he abandoned his car and hijacked a postal service truck, killing the driver. He continued to drive and spray bullets before police cornered and killed him in the parking lot of a movie theater.^[1]

Developments

The following day, police identified the shooter as 36-year old Seth Aaron Ator. Ator had been fired from his trucking job before the shootings. Authorities were unclear on a motive and believe Ator acted alone. Police have yet to release a list of all the victims. One victim, Mary Granados, 29, was the mail truck driver Ator killed. A 17-month old infant was also injured in the shooting but is expected to make a full recovery. Three officers were injured in the pursuit.

Politicians responded in what Vox^[2] described as a typical manner, as Democrats urged gun control reform laws while Republicans offered thoughts and prayers. Democratic congressman and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke tweeted "We need to end this epidemic" (shown below, left) and later stated he would force AK-47 and AR-15 owners to sell their guns to the government if he becomes president.^[5] Republican congressman Matt Schaefer insisted the shooting did not make him consider any gun control reform (shown below, right). President Trump tweeted saying it was a "Very tough and sad situation!"^[3] Mike Pence stated he and the president would try to work with congress to come to a solution to "mass atrocity."^[4] Democrats called on Mitch McConnell to reconvene the Senate to pass gun control laws which would expand background checks, but McConnell did not do so.