A gunman opened fire in Midland, Texas on Thursday, killing a city employee and wounding nine others before police cornered him inside an empty building. When officers got inside, the shooter was dead.
📍 WHAT HAPPENED
The gunman, Victor Matavia Real, 45, started shooting at people and police officers in a public area of the city. He then ran to an old veterinary clinic and locked himself inside. Officers surrounded the building. When they finally got in, Real was dead.
The man who died was Ed Scott, a city of Midland employee. He was going about his workday when he was shot. His death hit the community hard.
Nine others were hurt in the attack. At least three of them have since been released from the hospital and are healing at home.
🔍 WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET
What makes this case alarming is what happened in the days before the attack. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Real had already shot at a Midland police officer just days earlier. A warrant was out for his arrest. He had not been caught yet. Then he struck again.
That detail has people asking hard questions. If Real had shot at a cop earlier in the week, how did he have the chance to attack again? Those questions are now part of the investigation.
Police and the Texas DPS are working together to piece together what happened and whether anything could have stopped it. Investigators are going through surveillance video, witness accounts, and evidence from both scenes.
📋 WHO IS LOOKING INTO IT
The Midland Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety are jointly investigating. City leaders have promised to keep the public informed as the investigation moves forward.
Counseling is available for people who were at the scene or who are struggling after the attack.
If you have any information about this case, contact the Midland Police Department or the Texas Department of Public Safety at dps.texas.gov.
El Tejano will update this story as more information becomes available.
