A more than 30-hour manhunt for a West Texas fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of a police officer ended Friday when the man fired random shots at passing cars as police closed in, killing one person and injuring 10 others.
Authorities had searched for Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, of Odessa, since Wednesday after he fired multiple shots at an officer during a pursuit, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
When officers in Midland, Texas, responded to reports of shots fired Friday morning, Villarreal barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic, police said. When they reached him, they found he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The victim, identified as 62-year-old Ed Scott, worked for the city of Midland and belonged to the local softball community, the city said in a social media post Friday evening.
“A member of the City of Midland family will not be coming home,” the statement said.
Here’s what we know.
Shots fired Friday morning drew police SWAT team response
Villarreal may have turned off his cell phone to avoid tracking attempts, but the phone began sending signals again Friday morning in the area of the Victorian Inn, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
When Midland police officers heard gunfire coming from a building around 8 a.m. Friday, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Midland Police Department responded, authorities said.
As they arrived, Villarreal fired shots at officers, passing cars and bystanders, then barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic, police said.
Brenda Bowen, manager of All American Collision, said she saw “a man (randomly) shooting at cars driving by.” Her business went into lockdown as the standoff unfolded.
A semitruck driver blocked an offramp on Loop 250 to keep people away from the volleys of shots, witnesses told CNN.
A SWAT vehicle broke through a fence, and officers ran into the building where the suspect had holed up, witnesses told CNN.
Andrea Mendias, at the nearby Loop 250 Collision Center, said she saw about 20 SWAT officers run inside.
After a standoff, officers found the suspect dead inside the building around 12:30 p.m., authorities said.
Midland Memorial Hospital received nine victims from the shooting, spokesperson Tasa Richardson said in a statement to CNN. Five victims had been discharged as of Friday afternoon. Four patients remain hospitalized on Saturday, with two in critical condition and two in fair condition, the hospital said.
Suspect fired at officers during a Wednesday chase
Police had been seeking Villarreal after a shooting incident on Wednesday, officials said.
When police attempted to stop Villarreal on Wednesday night, he led them on a high-speed chase and started shooting from his vehicle, according to law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.
At one point, the shooter stopped, got out of his vehicle and fired rounds with a rifle at an officer, who returned fire, according to the Midland Police Department.
Police said Villarreal took off again, dumped the vehicle several blocks away and fled on foot. Midland Police, Texas Rangers and US Marshals launched an intensive manhunt.
Wanted posters sought Villarreal in connection with the attempted capital murder of a police officer.
The FBI is at the scene assisting the Midland Police Department with its investigation, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post Friday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying he is “deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence in Midland.”
“We are praying for the victims, their families, and the entire community,” Abbott said. “I have been briefed on the matter and commend the swift response from the Midland Police Department, DPS and all assisting law enforcement agencies.”
Midland sits in West Texas, about halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso.
A devoted father and husband killed
“We lost one of our own,” the city of Midland said, calling Friday “one of the hardest days our organization and our community will ever face.”
Scott, who worked in the city’s solid waste department, took part actively in the community, serving “as an integral figure with local and regional softball organizations.” He was a devoted father and husband and “good person all the way around,” the city said.
“Behind every employee badge is a husband or wife, a mother or father, a son or daughter, a friend, a teammate, and a person whose life touched countless others,” the city said.
The night of the shooting, Midland Mayor Lori Blong invited her community to gather for a prayer dedicated to the victims and their families.
“Our city has been through a lot today,” Blong said. “I believe the answer to all of it starts on our knees.”
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