An over 30-hour manhunt for a West Texas fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of a police officer ended Friday after the man fired random shots at passing cars as police closed in on him, killing one person and injuring 10 others.
Authorities had been searching for Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, of Odessa, since Wednesday after he fired multiple shots at an officer during a pursuit, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
When officers in Midland, Texas, responded to reports of shots being fired Friday morning, Villarreal barricaded himself in an abandoned veterinary clinic, police said. When they reached him, he was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The victim who was killed was identified as 62-year-old Ed Scott, an employee of the city of Midland and member of the local softball community, the city said in a social media post Friday evening.
“A member of the City of Midland family will not be coming home,” the statement said.
Here’s what we know.
Shots fired Friday morning drew police SWAT team response
Villarreal may have turned off his cell phone to avoid attempts to track his location but the phone began sending signals again Friday morning in the area of the Victorian Inn, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
When Midland police officers heard gunfire coming from a building at around 8 a.m. Friday, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Midland Police Department responded, authorities said.
As they arrived, Villarreal fired shots at officers, passing cars and bystanders, then barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic, police said.
Brenda Bowen, the 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.
A semitruck driver blocked an offramp on Loop 250, to keep people away from the volleys of shots, witnesses told CNN.
A SWAT vehicle broke through a fence, and officers ran into the building where the suspect was holed up, witnesses told CNN.
Andrea Mendias at the nearby Loop 250 Collision Center said she saw about 20 SWAT officers run inside.
After a standoff, the officers found the suspect dead in the building at around 12:30 p.m., authorities said.
Midland Memorial Hospital received nine victims from the shooting, spokesperson Tasa Richardson said in a statement to CNN. Five victims were discharged as of Friday afternoon. Three others have left the operating room and one remains there, Richardson said.
Suspect fired at officers during a Wednesday chase
Villarreal was being sought by police after a Wednesday shooting incident, officials said.
When police attempted to stop Villarreal on Wednesday night, they said he led them on a high-speed chase and started shooting from his vehicle, according to law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.
At one point, the shooter stopped, got out of his vehicle and fired rounds with a rifle at an officer who returned fire, according to the Midland Police Department.
Police said Villarreal took off again, dumping the vehicle several blocks away before fleeing on foot. Midland Police, Texas Rangers and US Marshals began an intensive manhunt.
Wanted posters said Villarreal was being sought in connection with the attempted capital murder of a police officer.
The FBI is at the scene 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 is “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.”
Midland is in West Texas, about halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso.
A devoted father and husband killed
“We lost one of our own,” the city of Midland said, calling Friday “one of the hardest days our organization and our community will ever face.”
Scott, who worked in the city’s solid waste department, was involved in the community, working “as an integral figure with local and regional softball organizations.” He was a devoted father and husband and “good person all the way around,” the city said.
“Behind every employee badge is a husband or wife, a mother or father, a son or daughter, a friend, a teammate, and a person whose life touched countless others,” the city said.
The night of the shooting, Midland Mayor Lori Blong invited her community to gather for a prayer dedicated to the victims and their families.
“Our city has been through a lot today,” Blong said. “I believe the answer to all of it starts on our knees.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Brad Parks, Jeremy Grisham and Evan Perez contributed to this report.