The latest: Gunman in Odessa-Midland mass shooting identified Seven killed, 22 injured in shootings, officials say

People pay their respects at a makeshift memorial created in memory of the victims killed in a recent mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, Sept. 3, 2019. Attacked across two cities, the victims were linked by fate and an enraged gunman. They were white and Hispanic, mothers and police officers, letter carriers and retirees. (Loren Elliott/The New York Times) less People pay their respects at a makeshift memorial created in memory of the victims killed in a recent mass shooting in Odessa, Texas, Sept. 3, 2019. Attacked across two cities, the victims were linked by fate ... more Photo: LOREN ELLIOTT/NYT Photo: LOREN ELLIOTT/NYT Image 1 of / 143 Caption Close The latest: Gunman in Odessa-Midland mass shooting identified 1 / 143 Back to Gallery

9:55 p.m.

Hundreds of people, including several community leaders, gathered at University of Texas of the Permian Basin on Sunday evening for a community healing service a day after a shooting left eight people dead along with 22 injured.

One of the ways members of the community opted to help each other was through free T-shirts, printed by the school's art department through their National Endowment of the Arts grant. A local business donated all of the shirts. And there was no limit.

"We'll print the shirt on your back if you want us to," professor Chris Stanley said.

Stanley was one of the faculty that decided to provide shirts for attendees.

"This morning when (we) woke up, we were like, 'We've got to do something. And the idea of a visual – this hashtag 'Permian Basin Strong' that had been floating around, we said we've got to make some shirts," he said, not long before pointing to crowd that banned together across the campus.

"Look how beautiful this is. One wishes it wasn't tragedy that brings us all together, but this is how a community like Odessa responds. It's an existential threat. You're not going to scare us."

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6 p.m.

Public records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News indicate the parents of accused mass shooter Seth Ator reside in San Antonio.

Sunday afternoon, a person at the house declined to open the front door, saying they had no comment.

Birth records showed Ator was born in Texas' Potter County on Sept. 17, 1982.

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5:26 p.m.

Multiple GoFundMe accounts have been created for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting in Midland and Odessa, Texas.

So far, seven accounts have collectively raised more than $280,000 from nearly 5,200 donors in a single day.

There was a reported instance of a fake GoFundMe account for a 15-year-old Odessa High School student and her brother. The school released a statement on Twitter saying the page was not verified.

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4 p.m.

Col. Steve McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, confirmed that Odessa shooter is Seth Aaron Ator, a 36-year-old Ector County man with a criminal record.

DPS records indicate that Ator was arrested in Waco in McLennan County in 2001 on charges of criminal trespass and evading arrest.

McCraw said the DPS trooper who made the traffic stop on Saturday met with Gov. Greg Abbott.

"The loss of lives is certainly tragic, and were concerned about these active shooter situations across the state, " McCraw said. "As the governor indicated today, one is too many, and we have six in over the last two years."

McCraw said the mass shooting have to combatted by public awareness and quick reaction by law enforcement.

"It's a combination of things, from the public understanding what the threat indicators are and being willing to report that in a timely manner, and law enforcement following up in a timely manner, and to tie disparate data bases together so we can see the underlying threat patterns," he said.

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2:32 p.m.

The gunman behind Saturday's mass shooting that killed seven people and injured 22 others is Seth Aaron Ator, a 36-year-old Odessa man, a city spokesperson said.

Saturday's events began as a traffic stop that eventually turned into Ator reportedly firing at random as he drove nearly 10 miles around Odessa and Midland.

He was eventually shot and killed by police at Cinergy theater in Odessa.

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12:30 p.m.

At least 22 people were injured and seven killed in Saturday's shooting in Midland and Odessa, officials said at a Sunday afternoon press conference.

In a conference led by Odessa police and Gov. Greg Abbott, officials said the victims fatally shot Saturday range from 15-to-57 years old.

Abbott said he had been in touch with the mother of a 17-month-old girl who sustained facial and chest injuries in the shooting.

"Her mouth is pretty bad but will heal and can be fixed," Abbott read from a text sent by the child's mother. The toddler's lip, teeth and tongue were injured, and she has shrapnel in her chest, officials said. She is expected to undergo surgery tomorrow to remove the fragments.

Abbott urged legislative action.

"I have been to too many of these events," Abbott said at a press conference Sunday afternoon. "Too many Texans have lost their lives. The status quo in Texas is unacceptable and action is needed. "

The name of the shooter was not released.

"All of Texans stand with you," Abbott said. "We're here today and we'll be here everyday until this community is pieced back together."

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12:11 p.m.

A Midland native and gun violence prevention leader challenged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other elected officials to tackle gun violence.

Amber Goodwin, a graduate of Lee High School, wrote a statement saying she was heartbroken over Saturday's recent violence.

"My heart is broken for the families impacted by another senseless and preventable act of violence. I grew up in Midland and know that the people there are strong, but this tragedy did not have to happen," the founder of the Community Justice Action Fund said.

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11:33 a.m.

GoFundMe pages have possibly identified two of the victims killed in Saturday's mass shooting in Odessa and Midland.

Mary Granados 29, was shot and killed when the suspected gunman hijacked her U.S. Postal Service truck, according to friends and family on social media.

The Odessa High school sophomore has reportedly been identified as 15-year-old Leila Hernandez. Her brother, Nathan, was also injured in the attack, according to her GoFundMe page.

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11:07 a.m.

A day after the mass shooting in Odessa and Midland, President Donald Trump credited law enforcement and first-responders for a "great job" on Twitter.

"Great job by Texas Law Enforcement and First Responders in handling the terrible shooting tragedy yesterday. Thank you also to the FBI, @GregAbbott_TX and all others. A very tough and sad situation!"

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9:54 a.m.

The death toll has risen to eight including the shooter, according to Odessa spokesperson Devin Sanchez

One of the victims died overnight at Midland Memorial, hospital officials say.

As of Sunday morning, Midland Memorial and Medical Center Hospital in Odessa have seen 20 gunshot victims.

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9:23 a.m.

One of those killed in Saturday's mass shooting in Odessa and Midland has been identified as an area high school sophomore.

Ector County ISD released a statement following the teen's death.

"We are heartbroken and outraged by the violence that struck our community and our school district today," an ECISD statement stated.

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9:14 a.m.

Medical Center Hospital in Odessa released an update on the 14 patients they received Saturday.

One patient is listed in critical condition while another three are in serious condition.

No new deaths have been reported overnight.

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ODESSA – A mass shooting event left five dead and 21 injured and virtually locked down the communities of Odessa and Midland on Saturday.

Of those injured, three were law enforcement officials, including a state trooper, who was in stable condition on Saturday evening. Odessa police have not identified any of those who died, including the man who went on a murderous rampage that started on Interstate 20 and went through northeast Odessa.

WEST TEXAS TRAGEDY: Shooting aftermath provides real-life casualty scenario for Odessa hospital

In the evening, Medical Center Health System officials reported on the status of those injured who were taken to MCH. The report was as follows: eight people had surgery; seven people are in critical condition, with two of those being in serious condition and one person died. Another patient, one 17 months of age, was airlifted to a University Medical Center in Lubbock.

The events, according to the Department of Public Safety, started with a 3:13 p.m. incident in Midland during a traffic stop on a gold-colored passenger vehicle on I-20 westbound near Loop 250.

Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, the suspect – a white male believed to be in his mid-30s – pointed a rifle toward the rear window of his car and fired several shots toward the DPS patrol unit. The unit was occupied by two troopers, and one was shot. The suspect fled the scene and continued to shoot motorists and others, including a Midland police officer and an Odessa police officer.

The two other officers are in a stable condition at a local hospital, according to the release from DPS.

Odessa police reported the driver fled westbound on the interstate and shot at a civilian at east Loop 338 and I-20. The suspect proceeded on a shooting spree in the city of Odessa and stole a U.S. Postal Service truck. The suspect continued shooting at innocent civilians all over Odessa before making his way to Cinergy theater on State Highway 191.

“The suspect then shot an Odessa Police Department officer, along with a Midland Police Department officer,” OPD reported. “Law enforcement officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

The shootings in Odessa and Midland came at the end of a month that began when a gunman killed 22 people and injured another 24 when he fired on customers at an El Paso Walmart.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who plans to visit Odessa today, released a statement following reports of the shooting:

“The first lady and I are heartbroken over this senseless and cowardly attack, and we offer our unwavering support to the victims, their families, and all the people of Midland and Odessa,” said Abbott. “The state of Texas and the Department of Public Safety are working closely with local law enforcement to provide resources as needed and deliver justice for this heinous attack. I thank the first responders who have acted swiftly and admirably under pressure, and I want to remind all Texans that we will not allow the Lone Star State to be overrun by hatred and violence. We will unite, as Texans always do, to respond to this tragedy.”

'COWARDLY ATTACK': Midland, Odessa encounter a new normal caused by gun violence

Anyone who believes they may have family members who are victims in this situation are urged to go to the Ector County Annex at 1010 E. 8th St., or visit www.safeandwell.com, according to Odessa police.

The tragedy put a pair of cities into chaos. Social media accounts were filled with those letting loved ones know they were safe. The gathering of information included the city and police department websites and social media. In some cases, they added to the confusion that left people searching for answers.

On Saturday afternoon, the Midland Police Department reported there was a pair of active shooters in separate vehicles in Midland. It later was reported there was only the one suspect who was shot and killed. Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke said during a press conference, it was originally hard to determine because in Odessa, the suspect switched from the passenger vehicle to the mail truck.

Active shooter incidents were also reported at Music City Mall, Midland Park Mall and Midland Memorial Hospital, but all were false, according to local police departments.

Events around both cities Saturday afternoon and evening were cancelled for the safety of community members and respect of the victims.