A white male in his 30s, who went on a shooting spree in West Texas, was killed in a gun battle with the police in the parking lot of a movie theater after the male suspect randomly open fired from his vehicle and a truck that he hijacked.
The man killed 5 people and injured 21, which includes 3 law enforcement police officers.
During a news conference, Michael Gerke, the Chief of the Odessa Police said that a child who under 2-years-old was injured in the shooting.
Chief Gerke added that 7 people are in critical condition.
The name and the motive of the shooter were not shared with the public, but Chief Gerke identified the shooter as a white man that is in his 30s.
The shooting spree started by 3:13 p.m. when 2 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers tried to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle on Interstate 20 Westbound.
DPS (Department of Public Safety) troopers said that the vehicle came to a complete stop and the driver pointed a rifle towards his rear window and fired a couple of shots towards the patrol unit.
One of the troopers sustained gunshot wounds.
Chief Gerke said that the shooter traveled to Odessa after open firing at the police officers, and shot another person.
The shooter continued to drive through the city and shot a number of people
The white shooter then abandoned his car and stole a mail truck and open fired at more people.
The shooter drove towards the Cinergy Movie theater, he was then involved in gunfire with the police at the parking lot of the theater.
The man was killed in the exchange fire.
During an interview with CNN, Alex Woods, a witness of the shooting, said, “When we had arrived about five minutes before the shooting had begun, I had no clue the shooter was even there.”
He added, “There was just police everywhere and there was a bunch of people behind the theater in the field walking and next thing you know this gunfire is going off. Next thing you know, I hear a pop, so, I flip the camera to where the theaters at and I just see a bunch of gunfire going off.”
Alex continued, “I could see the officer walking up to the mail van and discharging his weapon into it, and I believe that is when the shooter was killed.”
A 17-month-old boy was shot in the face during the shooting, he was airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock.