A mass shooting in the central Texas city of Midland left at least one civilian dead and nine other people injured Friday, local officials confirmed in an official press briefing, marking the latest act of gun violence to roil a US community.
Midland, located roughly 330 miles west of Dallas, was locked down for hours Friday morning as emergency responders confronted an active shooter situation. According to Midland Mayor Lori Blong, local law enforcement received the first 911 calls about the shooting at 8:03 a.m. local time (14:03 GMT), and first responders arrived at the scene within minutes. When officers reached the location, they reported hearing active gunfire originating from inside a nearby building.
The situation quickly escalated, with specialized SWAT teams and multiple partner law enforcement agencies deployed to contain the suspect. Police initially entered a standoff with the shooter, but by early Friday afternoon local time, officials confirmed the suspect was dead, bringing the active threat to an end. Blong confirmed in an update posted to social media that no law enforcement officers were injured during the response.
As of Friday afternoon, a total of 11 people have been identified as connected to the incident, including the deceased suspect and the one fatally killed civilian victim. Nine injured victims were transported to Midland Memorial Hospital, the closest major regional medical center, for urgent care. Hospital representatives confirmed Friday that four of the nine admitted patients are currently undergoing emergency surgery, while the remaining five are listed in stable condition.
In a public statement, Blong urged local residents and visitors to continue avoiding the affected area as public safety personnel carry out active on-site investigations: “At this time, public safety personnel are actively responding, and we ask the public to avoid the area until further notice.”
As of Friday afternoon, authorities have not released additional details about the suspect, including their identity, potential motive, or any background information. Details about the victims, including their names and ages, have also not been released pending next of kin notification. Investigations are ongoing, with officials expected to release additional updates as more information becomes available.