Multiple injured, 1 dead in shooting in Midland; suspect also dead

MIDLAND, Texas — Police responded to a shooting in a West Texas city on Friday morning, which injured 11 people, including one person who died.

The shooting occurred in a building in Midland, Texas, in the 4600 block of West Wall Street at around 8 a.m., according to officials.

Law enforcement, including SWAT, responded to a standoff with the suspect, who barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic building. The City of Midland later confirmed that the suspect had died, ending the standoff. 

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) later said in a news release that the suspect was 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal from Odessa. 

DPS said Villarreal was wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after he fired multiple shots at a Midland Police Department officer on Wednesday during a vehicle pursuit. 

During a news conference on Friday, city officials said an outage on Facebook impacted the Midland Police Department's ability to communicate the situation with the public. Officials asked that residents check X for updates.

Midland Memorial Hospital, which briefly went on lockdown, was set up as a family reunification point. The hospital said four people were in the operating room and five others were in stable condition.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked for prayers for the victims and their families in a post on X. 

DPS said that drivers should avoid portions of West Wall Street and Business 20 for the next couple of days as the area will remained closed “for the next 24 – 48 hours.”