An active shooter shot 21 people, killing at least five, after a traffic stop in Odessa, Texas. Some videos and photos circulated on social media, and you can see them throughout this article.
“It has been confirmed that the active shooter was shot and killed at the Cinergy in Odessa. There is no active shooter at this time. All agencies are investigating reports of possible suspects,” Midland police wrote. One of those wounded but who survived was identified as Anderson Davis, a 17-month-old toddler. You can donate to a GoFundMe to help the girl here.
Be forewarned that some of the videos are very disturbing because they capture the fear of the people caught up in the rampage.
Police said in a news conference that the incident started with a traffic stop. The suspect shot the officer, and then drove and shot another person. There were then other scenes with multiple victims. Authorities said it was a fluid situation. The suspect was then “contacted by law enforcement” and was killed in an exchange of gunfire. “We have law enforcement injured.” Three officers were struck. Police said there were at least 21 shootings victims and at least five deceased. The suspect is a white male in his mid 30s. His name wasn’t yet released. Earlier reports indicated there were two active shooters, but it now appears there was likely one, although police have not yet definitively ruled out the possibility of a second shooter.
People are urged to avoid I-20 in Odessa, Midland and Big Spring.
This video captures the sound of gunfire.
You can watch the first press conference by police here:
“Active Shooter! Please Share!
A subject (possibly 2) is currently driving around Odessa shooting at random people. At this time there are multiple gunshot victims. The suspect just hijacked a U.S. mail carrier truck and was last seen in the area of 38th and Walnut. Everyone is encouraged to get off the road and use extreme caution! All law enforcement is currently searching for the suspect and more information will be released as soon as it becomes available,” Odessa Police wrote on their Facebook page.
Information on the possible mass shooting is still very fluid and preliminary. Often in such active shooter situations, details can be contradictory or even wrong in the early stages. However, it’s clear that something major was going down in Odessa. Here’s a video that circulated:
Reports went live from part of the scene, which was chaotic and appeared widespread. That reporter said there was a mail van that was “down” and that a shooter might have been driving it. The journalist was reporting from the scene of Cinergy. CBS is reporting that one suspect was taken into custody at Cinergy. Police later said that suspect was killed.
A woman wrote on the police comment thread: “My husband works there and he was driving down the interstate where there are cars that are all shot up from the shooter just driving down the interstate shooting random cars. So scary!!”
“There are reports of an active shooter at the Home Depot in Odessa. For the safety of the public and law enforcement please stay away from the area and stay in your homes. We will update will more information as soon as possible,” Midland, Texas police wrote on Facebook. However, Home Depot later told Heavy: “there was not a shooting in our store in Odessa (or Midland).” Police told Heavy there were multiple injuries.
MY BOSS JUST GOT SHOT AT ON TANGLEWOOD AND MAPLE PLEASE GUYS STAY OFF THE ROADS AT CENTRAL ODESSA
BE SAFE
This man posted a live video on Facebook in which he claimed that people were shot in trucks on the side of the road. That information had not been confirmed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s chaos,” he said. “It’s not safe.” He said he’d seen dozens of officers. “There’s truck people, people laid out…”
Here’s what you need to know:
Midland Police Said Initially That There Were Two Shooters But It Later Appeared There Was Only One
Midland police later said there are two shooters. “Update * We believe there are two shooters in two separate vehicles. One suspect is believed to be at the Cinergy in Midland and the other is believed to be driving on Loop 250 in Midland. The two vehicles in question are: gold/white small Toyota truck and a USPS Jeep. Please stay away from these areas and stay indoors,” wrote police. However, in their first news conference, police indicated it appeared there was one shooter, although they had not definitively ruled out two.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin also wrote about the situation on Twitter. “Falcons: law enforcement in Midland and Odessa are working to locate and contain a shooter. Please stay in your dorm or office and do not open your doors. There were initial reports that the suspect was in east odessa. We will post here as soon as the situation is under control,” the Twitter page for UT wrote.
And: “Lock DownLock down in place. Officers are looking for suspect in shooting in the are of UTPB Campus. LOCK DOWN NOW.”
This post is being updated as more information is learned about the active shooter situation.