VIDEO: Officials share details of what happened leading up to Saturday's mass shooting
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/B2RXED2T2FIQ5AEP6H2PMCTYQY.jpg)
UPDATE: Officials have released the names of the seven people who were killed in Saturday's mass shooting.
- Leilah Hernandez, 15
- Joe Griffith, 40, Odessa
- Mary Granados, 29, Odessa
- Edwin Peregrino, 25, Odessa
- Rodolfo Julio Arco, 57, Odessa
- Kameron Karltess Brown, 30, Brownwood
- Raul Garcia, 35, El Paso
___
Law enforcement agencies shared new details on the recent mass shooting in a press conference on Saturday.
The Odessa Police Department, the Ector County Sheriff's Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Public Safety, the FBI and the ATF took part in the conference.
According to Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke, Saturday's tragedy started on Saturday morning when the suspect, Seth Ator, went to work at Journey Oilfield Services. Ator was fired from his job, prompting him to call 911. Journey Oilfield Services also called 911. Ator then left the business before police arrived. No threats were made during the 911 call.
15 minutes before being pulled over Ator called the FBI's National Tip Line. Ator did not make threats at this time and instead rambled about atrocities he has faced in his life. After the call ended the FBI began working to identify who he was.
Chief Gerke said that Ator was pulled over along Interstate 20 for a traffic violation by DPS Trooper Chuck Pryor. That's when Ator began firing his AR-15, hitting Pryor and others on the interstate.
Ator then entered the City of Odessa where he shot several people including U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Mary Granados. Ator then began driving Granados's Postal Service vehicle and headed towards the Cinergy Movie Theater on State Highway 191 east of town.
Ator encountered several law enforcement officers in the parking lot of Cinergy. A shootout began and Ator was killed. Odessa police officer James Santana and Midland police officer Zack Owens were both shot but are now recovering.
Gerke says that Ator's motive remains unknown at this time.
There are only two active scenes remaining in Odessa: One at Cinergy, another at the Freedom Buick GMC dealership on East 42nd Street.
FBI Special Agent Christopher Combs gave details on a search warrant that was executed on Sunday afternoon.
According to Combs, federal officials searched the home of Ator in West Odessa.
Combs went on to say that Ator's home was very strange and that the conditions of the property reflected what they believe his mental state was going into the shooting.
"He was on a long spiral of going down. He didn't wake up Saturday morning and walk into his company and then it happened. He went to that company in trouble, he's probably been in trouble for a while," said Combs.
Combs says that the FBI wants the public to reach out anytime they think someone is on a downward spiral that may lead to violence.
#WestTexasStrong