Police respond to active shooter in Midland, Texas

At least one person was killed and several others wounded in a shooting in Midland, Texas, on Friday morning, according to Mayor Lori Blong, who said there were 11 known victims. 

The suspect in the incident has died, the city said, but did not provide additional details. The suspect was seen dead using a drone as the location continues to be secured, Blong said.

Nine victims were treated at Midland Memorial Hospital, according to the hospital. Four required surgery, with three in recovery and one other still in the operating room, the hospital said. The five other patients have already been discharged.

“My heart breaks for the victims and their families,” Blong said. “We are praying for every person touched by today’s events and for the law enforcement officers who risked [their] own safety to protect our community.”

Blong said she was not aware of any police officers being injured.

Midland Police Chief Greg Snow said in a social media post that officers heard gunfire coming from a building in the southwestern part of the city and they quickly secured the area.

“We heard several, several gunshots, like 20 gunshots, and then it moved down — the whole situation moved further down,” Lee Carlisle, who was at a Super 8 motel near the scene, told CBS News of the police response. “We see the drones, and then we see the Texas Rangers and the undercover cars with lights on. … Had to be, seems like, 50 police officers, like a small army.” 

A woman who was at the hospital where victims were taken told CBS News 24/7 she saw some casualties before being moved to a safe area as the hospital implemented a lockdown.

“My understanding is that the whereabouts of the shooter were not entirely known at the time. And we also wanted to stay out of the way of the essential hospital staff that needed to take care of patients,” the woman, who asked to only be identified as Jane, said.

The victims she saw appeared stable, she said.

The lockdown lasted for about an hour and a half, she said, adding there was “a sense of calm and professionalism” at the hospital.

Jane, who lives in the neighborhood of the hospital, said hearing about the active shooting made her feel scared and unsafe.

“It makes me really scared that there are people walking around with guns who are, you know, who can just kill you and kill anyone around you. And that makes me feel really unsafe and very scared,” she said.

Midland is in western Texas, about three hours south of Lubbock.

“Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott are deeply saddened by the incident in Midland,” the governor’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement. “Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Midland community.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.