NPR News

At Least 5 Dead, Several Injured In West Texas Shooting

By Shannon Van Sant

Published August 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM EDT

In this image made from video provided by Dustin Fawcett, police officers guard a street in Odessa, Texas. A suspect killed and injured multiple people in a mass shooting on Saturday. [Dustin Fawcett / AP] — In this image made from video provided by Dustin Fawcett, police officers guard a street in Odessa, Texas. A suspect killed and injured multiple people in a mass shooting on Saturday.

Police say a man hijacked a postal truck and began shooting people at random in the Midland and Odessa areas of Texas on Saturday in a chaotic afternoon that ended with police shooting the gunman dead.

Odessa Police Department officials say five people were killed and 21 others injured in the shootings. Three law enforcement officers were shot: an Odessa Police officer, a Midland Police officer and a state police officer.

Police say the suspect who was killed was a white male in his mid-30s. After initial reports by police that they were searching for possibly more than one suspect, police believe there was only one shooter. They continue to investigate the mass shooting.

The incident created a chaotic scene along shopping areas in Odessa and 20 miles away in Midland, with police departments in both areas urging residents to remain inside and off the roads on the holiday weekend.

Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke said the situation began with a traffic stop. A Texas Department of Public Safety officer pulled over the suspect and then was shot by the vehicle's occupant and then he drove off. At some point, police said, the suspect ditched his car, stole a U.S. Postal Service truck and continued to shoot people at random.

President Trump tweeted that he was briefed on the incident, and Gov. Greg Abbott said he would be traveling to the area on Sunday.

This is a developing story. Some things that get reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.