Authorities identify gunman in deadly Odessa shooting -TV, Abc13.com

ODESSA, Texas – Authorities have identified the gunman who opened fire at random in the West Texas city of Odessa as 36 – year-old Seth Aaron Ator.

Odessa police say the death toll is now seven after Ator was stopped by state troopers opened fire and fled, shooting people at random. Police later shot the gunman.

Odessa police spokesman Steve LeSueur said Sunday that at least one person remains in “life-threatening” condition.

Police said Saturday afternoon that they were looking for at least one suspect who was “driving around Odessa shooting at random people.”

The shooting set off a chaotic afternoon in which police reported that a suspect hijacked a US Postal Service vehicle and began firing at random in the area of Odessa and Midland, hitting multiple people. Policeinitially reportedthat there could be more than one shooter, but Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke says authorities now believe it was one shooter.

Police said just after 5: 30 pm local time that there was no continuing active shooter threat, saying the gunman had been killed near the Cinergy movie theater in Odessa.

Midland Memorial Hospital said it received six patients connected to the shooting, three of whom were in critical condition. Medical Center Hospital in Odessa received 13 patients, including one who has died, seven in critical condition, two in serious condition, two who were treated and released and one child under the age of 2 years old who was transferred to another facility in North Texas for further care.

A Midland officer, an Odessa officer, and a DPS trooper were among the injured. The trooper’s injuries were non-life-threatening, Midland Mayor Jerry Morales told CNN, and the Midland officer underwent surgery.

Odessa is about 20 miles southwest of Midland. Both are more than 300 miles west of Dallas and lie along Interstate 20 approximately at the midpoint between El Paso and Fort Worth.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.