SAA event in TX, Midland area, United States of America on Fri 12th June 2026

Nearly a dozen people were shot in West Texas on Friday morning, prompting an hourslong standoff and raising numerous questions about what led up to the mass shooting.

Of the 11 victims, one died at the scene and 10 others were injured, officials said Friday. The suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Officers heard gunfire coming from a building in the 4600 block of West Wall Street, Police Chief Greg Snow said in a statement. Around 8 a.m. CT, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Midland Police Department responded, according to a DPS statement.

When they arrived, the suspect, identified as Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, of Odessa, fired shots at officers and bystanders before barricading himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic, police said.

Officers immediately established a perimeter around the building. After a standoff, authorities found the suspect dead inside the building at around 12:30 p.m.

Villarreal was a fugitive whom authorities had been searching for since Wednesday. He was wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after allegedly firing multiple shots at a police officer during a high-speed chase, according to DPS.

Multiple law enforcement sources said Villarreal may have turned off his cell phone to avoid being tracked. However, the phone began sending signals again Friday morning in the area. As police closed in on him, the shooter apparently began firing randomly at pedestrians and drivers, the sources added.

How the shooting unfolded

Brenda Bowen, manager of All American Collision, said she saw “a man (randomly) shooting at cars driving by.” Her business went on lockdown as the standoff unfolded.

Witnesses told CNN that a SWAT vehicle broke through a fence and officers ran into an abandoned building where the suspect was hiding.

Andrea Mendias, who works at the nearby Loop 250 Collision Center, said she saw about 20 SWAT officers enter the building.

After a sheriff’s deputy reviewed the shop’s surveillance video, authorities told Mendias they believed the suspect was in the building next door, she said.

Midland Memorial Hospital received nine victims from the shooting, spokesperson Tasa Richardson said in a statement to CNN.

As of Friday afternoon, five victims had been discharged. Three others had left the operating room, while one remained in surgery, Richardson said.

The hospital went on lockdown around 8:20 a.m. CT because of the active shooter situation. Shortly after officials announced the suspect had been found dead, the lockdown was lifted.

Midland is located in West Texas, roughly halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso.

The FBI is assisting the Midland Police Department with its investigation, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post Friday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying he was “deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence in Midland.”

“We are praying for the victims, their families, and the entire community,” Abbott said. “I have been briefed on the matter and commend the swift response from the Midland Police Department, DPS, and all assisting law enforcement agencies.”