At 3:17 pm local time on Saturday, a state trooper attempted to stop a man driving a gold Honda for failing to signal a left turn, according to police, as cited by AP.
As the Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit got the car pulled over, the driver opened fire from its rear window, injuring one trooper, and proceeded moving towards Odessa while shooting at motorists at random.
At some point, the gunman hijacked a postal van from which he continued his shooting spree, sparking a car chase. It came to the showdown between the attacker and police near the Cinergy movie theater at the Music City Mall in Odessa. Videos filmed by witnesses at the scene show the attacker’s truck mounting a curb and police then shooting at the suspect.
Police later confirmed that the attacker was killed on the spot, whose identity and motives are as of yet unknown.
Odessa police Chief Michael Gerke told a news conference that the suspect had been identified as a white male in his mid-thirties. While police said that they “have an idea” about the identity of the shooter, they refused to release any more details until they double-check the information.
At least 21 civilians have suffered gunshot wounds in the rampage, and three law enforcement officers were injured. Five people have been killed. It’s unclear at the moment if the five people who had died are among the 21 injured civilians.
The Saturday rampage occurred as Texas was just recovering from another mass shooting that left 20 people killed in El Paso. The high frequency of mass shootings in the United States has prompted a wave of criticism against Donald Trump’s handling of the incidents and the US’ gun laws.
- source : Tasnim