He shot at animals and threatened neighbors: what is known about the shooter who killed 7 people in Texas

The man who staged a mass execution in West Texas on Saturday, August 31, was identified as 36-year-old Seth Ator, a truck driver who had been fired a couple of hours before the tragedy. Ator was killed by police at the crime scene.

Photo: Texas Department of Public Safety, video frame CBS Los Angeles

Initially, the police searched for two potential militants. But after Ator was shot dead, officials said the threat no longer exists. Now investigators say they are sure: he acted alone, writes Heavy.

Seven people were killed in Saturday's shooting, as well as the shooter, federal officials said. More than 20 people were injured, several of them in critical condition. Three law enforcement officers were wounded, as well as a soldier - their lives are not in danger.

What is known about the arrow?

1. Seth Ator worked as a truck driver, but was fired a few hours before the shooting

The New York Times, citing law enforcement sources, reports that Ator was fired from his job at a freight company on the morning of the shooting day. The reason was not voiced, officials stressed that the motive for the shooting is unknown.

The publication found only one LinkedIn page associated with the name Ator. The report said that the man worked as a truck driver in Midland, Texas, but the name of the company does not exist. Also, the editors did not find a valid driver's license in the name of Ator in the relevant databases. It is also reported that once, when applying for a job, Ator failed to verify the biographical data.

On the subject: Second month fire in Texas: five dead, dozens injured. VIDEO

2. A neighbor claims that Ator threatened her with a rifle a few weeks before the shooting

According to KMID-TV, on September 1, FBI agents searched the home of Seth Ator. Property records show that he purchased quite a lot of land with a market value of $9260 on Cavalli Circle in Odessa, Texas in January 2018. At the same time, he lived in a mobile home, more like a barn, the publication notes. Neighbors said the street is a relatively new development that was previously made up of mobile homes. The man confirmed that Ator lived there and called the shooter "a quiet man who didn't bother anyone."

Photo: YouTube / KHOU 11 video frame

Another neighbor has completely different memories of Ator. Veronica Alonzo told CNN that Ator yelled at her in the weeks before the shooting "for leaving trash in a nearby dumpster." Alonzo said Ator approached her home holding a rifle. She explained that after this incident she called the police, but no officers came because their street was difficult to find - the address does not appear on the GPS.

Alonzo added that she saw Ator shoot his animals at night with his weapons. She also told CNN that Ator’s house had no running water or electricity.

On the subject: Shooting in Texas: what is known about the dead

3. In 2001, Ator pleaded guilty to a felony

According to a criminal history search on the Texas Department of Homeland Security website, Seth Ator was charged with “criminal assault” on 3 on August 2001 in McLennan County, Texas. It was a class B misconduct.

He was then charged with a second crime for evading arrest. The protocol shows that in February 2002, Ator pleaded guilty and received 24 months conditionally. The site does not provide details about the reasons for the arrest. The case was listed as a “pending court decision”. In Texas, this is a type of probationary period in which a conviction is not recorded in a person’s criminal record.

Photo: video frame YouTube / KHOU 11

4. Ator's parents live in San Antonio; he graduated from a school in central east texas

The search reveals that Seth Ator was born on September 27 of 1982 of the year. KVII-TV reported that Ator was born in Potter County and lived in Amarillo as a child. ABC KXXV-TV reported that Ator graduated from Loren High School in 2000.

His parents are Debra Sue Warren and Denis Keith Ator. They married in 1978 and divorced in 1987, according to records obtained through the Texas Department of State Health Services.

San Antonio express news reported that Ator’s parents seem to live together in the west of San Antonio. The newspaper correspondent knocked on the front door. Someone heard him say through the door: “No comment, leave,” but the doors did not open.

Records show that Ator had a sister, Elissa Breen, who died in 2015.

5. Ator was armed with an assault rifle

Police say the shooting started after Ator’s car was stopped on a highway between the cities of Midland and Odessa. According to the Texas Department of Homeland Security, the driver was a golden car. He "aimed the rifle at the rear window of his car and fired several shots at the side of the patrol unit of the road service." Officials said the weapon was an AR-type rifle.

Photo: video frame YouTube / KHOU 11

Ator shot one of the two law enforcement officers, wounded the second and hastened to leave. Police confirmed that Ator was detained for violating traffic rules, in particular for "the lack of a warning signal."

Odessa police said Ator continued to shoot random people from his moving vehicle as he drove through Midland and Odessa. He threw his car and hijacked a U.S. Postal Service truck, killing driver Mary Granados.

Then Ator went to the cinema in Odessa. In the parking lot at the cinema, the police drove him into a corner. Ator was killed during the shootout.

Photo: video frame YouTube / KHOU 11

Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke on Saturday night confirmed that at least 5 people were killed in the shooting and that another 20 people were injured. During the night, the death toll increased to 7 people plus the shooter himself.

Midland Police Department later confirmed that they were looking for two suspects. They believed that one was driving a small golden Toyota car, and the second was driving a stolen mail truck. However, it turned out that Seth Ator acted alone. Chef Gerke told reporters that after Ator was shot dead in Sinergi, there were no casualties, which led the police to conclude that there was only one shooter.

Sad. A woman weeps, as she lay in a field, with others around her; dozens of rounds of gunfire can be heard in the distance.

She tweeted: “one of the scariest thing ever to hear n be so close to a shoot !! So glad they shot him dead! ” #OdessaShooting

pic.twitter.com/tQf5IlB0S6

- David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 1, 2019

The tragedy in Odessa and Midland became the second mass shooting in Texas in just four weeks. On August 3, an attack occurred in El Paso, during which 22 people were shot dead at Walmart.

On Sunday morning, President Trump thanked law enforcement officials and those who provided first aid to people in Texas. He condemned the gunman as "another very sick person." On Saturday night, Vice President Pence spoke to reporters and emphasized that “all federal government resources” are in Texas to help.

Former San Antonio mayor and presidential candidate Julian Castro have called for stronger gun laws. Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, a native of the El Paso region, who was especially active after the mass shootings in early August, did not restrain his emotions. He published a video of his speech with a group of voters in Virginia in which he stated: “We do not know the motivation. But here is what we know: this is n *** c. "

We don't know how many have been killed. We don't know the motivation. But here's what we do know: This is fucked up. pic.twitter.com/NRvyPfUjiM

- Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 1, 2019

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• On Saturday, 3 August, in El Paso (Texas) occurred Walmart supermarket shooting, whose victims were 22 people, another 26 were injured. Police detained a young man suspected of shooting, he turned out to be 21-year-old Patrick Crusius.
• During this mass execution mother of three children diedthat covered the baby. One of the victims of the execution was also her husband. The couple bought things for the new school year.
• 31 August in Odessa and Midland in Texas shooting occurred, which became the second mass execution in the region over the past month. 7 people died as a result of the incident, 24 were injured. The first to die was a policeman who stopped an arrow car on a highway between the cities of Midland and Odessa. Then the criminal opened fire on passers-by and drivers on the road. He was shot dead by police at a local cinema complex.
• A postal worker, an 15-year-old girl, a US Army veteran, and a father of two children are seven who were recognized as victims of mass shooting in West Texas. Here what is known about the dead.

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