Midland, TX gunman dead and ID'd leaves 1 dead, 10 wounded

The FBI is now investigating after one person was killed and 10 others were wounded in a Friday shooting spree in Midland, Texas, because apparently America’s lunatic factory is still operating around the clock and guns are getting more violent and someone needs to speak to them.

The deceased suspect, identified as a 45-year-old man with a Hispanic sounding name allegedly opened fire on officers and innocent bystanders before barricading himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic in downtown Midland, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco.

Midland Mayor Lori Blong said during a news conference that police used robot and drone footage to confirm the shooter was dead inside the building. Authorities still do not know exactly how Villarreal died, which means the conspiracy theorists are probably already warming up their keyboards.

Of the 11 victims, Midland Memorial Hospital received nine gunshot victims, with four initially rushed into surgery.

The situation began in southeast Midland before spreading across south Midland in what sounds like the sort of chaos no community should ever have to deal with at eight o’clock in the morning. Police were first dispatched at 8:03 a.m. local time after reports of a disturbance involving weapons and shots fired, according to Midland Police Chief Greg Snow.

Naturally, it took a massive multi agency response to contain the situation. The FBI, HSI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Odessa Police Department, and sheriff’s offices from both Midland and Ector counties all joined the effort.

Using armored vehicles, Snow said officers were able to safely extract law enforcement personnel who had been pinned down behind their patrol cars. That little detail alone tells you how ugly this situation became.

Police then moved down Highway 80 to rescue civilians trapped in their vehicles, prevent the shooter from finding more targets, and lock down the area before things got even worse.

Snow confirmed that several officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect during the incident, which will now be investigated by the Texas Rangers and DPS.

Meanwhile, FBI El Paso deployed special agents and victim services personnel to assist at the scene.

Midland Memorial Hospital’s main campus was placed on lockdown for nearly two hours during the shooting, because when violent lunatics decide to turn a city into a war zone, everybody’s normal day instantly disappears.

Andrea Mendias told The Associated Press she heard what sounded like a small explosion at the abandoned veterinary clinic next to the body shop where she works and watched heavily armed officers flood the parking lot.

Some officers reportedly entered the building while others deployed robotic equipment into the area.

Mendias also said she heard what sounded like at least 40 gunshots before law enforcement finally cornered the suspect.

Video she recorded showed officers pouring out of an armored police vehicle while robots were sent toward the building, which sounds less like West Texas and more like footage from a failed state.

"Cecilia and I are deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence in Midland," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a social media post. "We are praying for the victims, their families, and the entire community."

Blanco later confirmed that Villarreal was also the suspect accused of shooting at police earlier in the week.

"Yes, the identity of the suspect, [redacted because the scumbag doesn't deserve notoriety], age 45, is a suspect from the previous day's shooting," he said.

Midland sits near Odessa, roughly 330 miles west of Dallas and about 300 miles east of El Paso, proving once again that even places far removed from America’s elite urban circus are no longer insulated from violent chaos.

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