At least five people were killed
and 21 injured in Midland-Odessa, Texas, after a routine traffic stop
triggered a deadly shooting rampage that ended when the gunman
was slain by officers, police said.
The
incident began at 3:13 p.m. CDT when an assailant described by
authorities only as a white male in his mid-30s driving a gold-colored
car was pulled over by a pair of state troopers on Interstate 20 for a
traffic violation, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Before
coming to a stop, the man grabbed a rifle and shot multiple times at
the pair of troopers through the rear window, wounding one. He then sped
off, shooting at other motorists and passers-by. At one point, he
changed to a U.S. Postal Service truck.
Besides the
initial trooper who was shot, two others were wounded as well, Texas
DPS said, The gunman himself was killed after a chase involving officers
from both Midland and Odessa, two cities within miles of each other.
The
tragedy shattered an otherwise quiet holiday weekend in West Texas and
became the latest mass shooting after others this summer in El Paso,
Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Gilroy, California.
And the beat goes on.
ReplyDelete