Mass shooter Seth Aron Ator, who killed seven and wounded 22 in a rampage on Saturday in the area of Odessa and Midland, Texas, reportedly threatened his neighbors with a rifle and used to shoot animals from the roof of his home.
A neighbor told CNN that Ator, 36, threatened her with a rifle for leaving trash near his property. She also said that Ator used to sit on top of his home and shoot animals at night, which he would retrieve later in the morning.
The woman said she reported Ator to the police last month. When the police tried to confront Ator following her report, however, they couldn’t find his house as it didn’t show up on GPS, and had no electricity or running water.
According to the neighbor, Ator would often sleep in his Toyota Camry with the heat on when the weather got too cold.
FBI agents were seen searching what appeared to be a metal shack in West Odessa. The structure was reportedly connected to Ator in some way.
CBS Dallas reports that Ator was fired from his trucking job Saturday morning just hours before he went on a shooting spree. But investigators have not yet confirmed a motive and continue to try to determine what triggered him.
Authorities have not officially identified the victims, but some have been named by relatives and friends, reported Dallas Morning News. Among the victims were Mary Grandos, a U.S. postal worker who was killed when Ator hijacked her mail carrier truck; Leilah Hernandez, a 15-year-old high school sophomore; and 40-year old Joseph Griffith, who was killed in front of his wife and children.
A 17-month-old girl who was hit by a bullet fragment, Anderson Davies, is currently recovering from surgery. A GoFundMe page started for her has raised more than $200,000 by the time of this publication. According to the fundraiser, she has shrapnel in her chest, as well as a hole through her bottom lip and tongue and her front teeth were knocked out.
Another GoFundMe page was started for Midland cop Zack Owens. The fundraiser details that the police officer was shot multiple times in the arm and hand during the incident. He is also suffering from glass shards in his eye.
Ator was pulled over for a minor signaling infraction by two officers of the Texas Highway Patrol in Midland. After stopping his gold vehicle, Ator opened fire on the two troopers and fled. He then indiscriminately fired his rifle out of the car along his way to Odessa. Ator continued his shooting spree from a stolen USPS truck before being cornered by cops outside a cinema complex. He was shot dead in a shootout with officers.
