New documents clear up Odessa mass shooting timeline OPD releases more than 220 pages of incident reports this past week

The reports -- compiled from 222 pages of incident reports released this past week by the Odessa Police Department through a FOIA request -- provide a clearer picture of the route taken by the shooter over the 64 minutes between when he was pulled over in Midland by a state trooper on Interstate 20 and when he was shot by multiple agencies in the parking lot behind Cinergy Cinemas in Odessa. Additionally, the reports shed light on the hours before the shooting began. less The reports -- compiled from 222 pages of incident reports released this past week by the Odessa Police Department through a FOIA request -- provide a clearer picture of the route taken by the shooter over the ... more Photo: Midland Reporter-Telegram Photo: Midland Reporter-Telegram Image 1 of / 89 Caption Close New documents clear up Odessa mass shooting timeline 1 / 89 Back to Gallery

New documents related to the Aug. 31 mass shooting in Midland and Odessa provide more detail into the shooting that killed eight, including the shooter, and wounded 25.

The reports -- compiled from 222 pages of incident reports released this past week by the Odessa Police Department through a FOIA request -- provide a clearer picture of the route taken by the shooter over the 64 minutes between when he was pulled over in Midland by a state trooper on Interstate 20 and when he was shot by multiple agencies in the parking lot behind Cinergy Cinemas in Odessa. Additionally, the reports shed light on the hours before the shooting began.

The following is a Reporter-Telegram constructed timeline, using times, locations and details compiled from those incident reports.

Aug. 31, 1:29 p.m.

OPD officers responded to Journey Oilfield Services, on E Murphy Street in Odessa, after a manager at the company reported an employee damaged the property.

That manager identified the employee as Seth Ator, who he had just fired for “mouthing off” to other employees at a contracted jobsite. Ator became irate, the manager told police, and began making accusations the company was part of a child pornography conspiracy.

After Ator attempted to leave without returning his keys to the building, the manager cut off power to a security gate on the perimeter of the lot to prevent Ator from leaving. Instead, Ator drove through the fence, causing several thousand dollars’ worth of damage.

Ator began calling 911 while officers were interviewing the manager, and he was transferred to officers at the scene. James Santana was one of the officers who spoke to Ator, as he rambled about being held against his will and a cult that was plotting his murder.

The phone conversation ended as radio calls came in of a man driving recklessly and holding a long rifle. A description of the driver’s vehicle matched Ator’s.

Officers believed Ator might return to the job site on Murphy. They grabbed their patrol rifles and waited for him to arrive.

3:13 p.m.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Chuck Pryor attempted to pull Ator over for failing to signal a lane change on Interstate 20 near Loop 250 in Midland. Ator pointed his rifle through the rearview window of his gold Toyota Camry and shot Pryor.

OPD was aware the vehicle was connected to the earlier disturbance at Journey Oilfield Services. It’s unclear if Pryor also knew of the earlier incident when he attempted to stop Ator.

Several vehicles and two semi-truck drivers were shot on Interstate 20 between mile markers 131 and 121, as Ator continued west towards Odessa.

3:30 p.m.

A driver was shot on the 4500 block of Loop 338 in Odessa, 3 miles from the exit to get onto the loop from Interstate 20. That driver saw Ator’s vehicle make a U-turn before heading west onto State Highway 191.

Maria Boardo was shot at the intersection of 338 and 191. She had just left Academy Sports and was on the phone with her husband at the time she was shot. He would later tell police he heard screaming before the line went dead. When he called back, a stranger answered the phone and told him his wife and toddler were being taken to the hospital. The toddler was not hurt.

Ator was seen on surveillance footage at 3:30 p.m. driving through the parking lot of Freedom Buick GMC off SH 191, which turns into 42nd Street.

Fifteen-year-old Leilah Hernandez was at the dealership with her mother, brother and stepfather. They were waiting for a car salesman to bring the keys to a truck for a test drive. Hernandez’s stepfather told officers he saw Ator wave at him from his gold Toyota. He started to wave back when Ator pulled out a rifle and began shooting at Hernandez.

Her brother was shot using his body to shield his sister. Her stepfather removed his shirt and held it to the wound in her neck, attempting to stop the bleeding.

Paramedics arrived over an hour later, at 4:47 p.m.

“The paramedics advised that she was gone and there was nothing they could do for her,” an incident report states. “They advised that they were going to leave the scene and move on to the next one.”

Ator is then seen on security footage driving in the middle lane further down 42nd Street past the McDonald’s. Several drivers were shot along that stretch of road, at Olive Garden, Market Street and Twin Peaks.

3:34 pm

A driver was shot at the intersection of 42nd Street and John Ben Shepperd Parkway. He drove away and sheltered in place at a taco stand.

Footage from home security cameras captured Ator driving through subdivisions, on Tanglewood Lane, Maple Avenue and East Everglade Avenue.

3:35 p.m.

Ator’s Toyota is seen on a red-light camera on the corner of 38th Street and North Dixie Boulevard. A driver stopped at 36th Street and Dixie saw Ator exit his car with a long, black rifle before shooting at the cars in front and behind him. The two cars fled and a yellow dog jumped from Ator’s car and ran off.

The witness told police Ator then pointed his rifle at her and followed her as she drove away, until she turned into an apartment complex off Dixie.

At 38th Street and Walnut Avenue, Ator shot and killed Edwin Peregrino. Shell casings were found in the street and carport. Drag marks from the carport to an outside kitchen entrance indicate Ator drove through Peregrino’s driveway. Peregrino was found in his kitchen.

Ator stole Mary Granados’ U.S. Postal Service van on the 3600 block of Adams Avenue. A witness saw him pull her from the van, shoot her in the head and again in her side.

Surveillance footage captured Ator driving on Adams Avenue and firing sporadically, and a car fleeing after being struck.

3:38 p.m.

The white USPS van is captured by security cameras turning into an alleyway on the 3600 block of Walnut Avenue before turning around in the alley and heading south on Walnut.

From there, Ator continued 3.5 miles to the corner of Grandview Avenue and Yukon Road by Ratliff Stadium. Kameron Brown was found in his company vehicle at that intersection with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Ator appears to have continued on Yukon Road before turning onto Faudree Road. Joe Griffith was shot and killed at the Stripes on Faudree Road and SH 191. His wife and two children were also in the car, on the way to have family photos taken.

4:00 p.m.

Officers were notified Ator was heading to Cinergy Cinemas off SH 191. They secured a perimeter around the building and began evacuating patrons into the parking lot.

Midland Police Department Officer Zack Owens was canvassing the area behind Cinergy after the building was evacuated. He saw a white USPS van and thought it looked suspicious. As he approached the vehicle, Ator began shooting at him. He saw the van leave the scene and travel west on Dr. Emmett Headlee Street before turning around and heading back toward Cinergy.

4:17 p.m.

The USPS van crashed into OPD and MPD patrol vehicles in the parking lot behind Cinergy. There was extensive damage to the front of the van and the side airbags were deployed.

Ator shot at officers before he crashed, including at Santana. Officers fired at least 16 shots into Ator, according to his autopsy report, before pulling him from the vehicle and handcuffing him. An autopsy indicated Ator was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. at Cinergy. An AR-rifle and pistol were recovered from the scene.

Four 30-round magazine cartridges were later recovered from the abandoned Toyota, along with a set of keys on a Batman key ring.

10:35 p.m.

An employee from the Utah Fusion Center in Salt Lake City contacted the OPD the night of Aug. 31. He said his job is to forward threats the FBI receives to local law enforcement.

He said the FBI notified him about a video on TikTok from a man with the username “mr.seven0000.” In the video, a man matching Ator’s description was seen singing a song and making actions to the song that described driving around and killing people. The man used the hashtag “Odessa Check” in the video’s caption.