A tragic shooting occurred on Friday, June 12, 2026, in the morning in the city of Midland in West Texas.
An armed man opened fire near West Wall Street, killing one person and wounding at least 10 others. Among the victims is 62-year-old city employee Edward Randall Scott.
Who was the perpetrator?
The perpetrator was 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal from nearby Odessa. The man was already being sought by police – a few days earlier he had fired at an officer during a chase.
After the attack, Villarreal barricaded himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic. After a siege lasting several hours, police confirmed that the suspect was dead. It is unclear whether he took his own life or was killed in an exchange of gunfire.
Response from authorities
Midland Mayor Lori Blong called the events a „heart-wrenching morning”. Numerous services worked at the scene, including SWAT, helicopters and police robots.
Midland hospital reported that some of the injured required surgery, but most are in stable condition.
This is another recent case of a mass shooting in Texas, which once again fuels the debate on access to firearms in the United States.
The case is still being investigated by the Texas Rangers and local police.
