Police: 21 Shot, 7 Dead in Texas Shooting

At least 21 people have been injured by gunfire and seven killed in a shooting in West Texas, the AP reports. At a news conference Saturday, Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke also says that at least three law enforcement officers were among those shot. He spoke after a chaotic afternoon during which police reported that a suspect hijacked a US Postal Service vehicle and began firing at random in the area of Odessa and Midland, hitting multiple people. The death toll increased to seven on Sunday, and police said at least one more person was in life-threatening condition.

Police initially reported that there could be more than one shooter, but Gerke says authorities now believe it was one shooter. Gerke says he believes the threat is over but authorities remain vigilant. Police said earlier that a suspect had been shot and killed near the Cinergy movie theater in Odessa. Apparently the suspect was a white male in his 30s. Gerke declined to name him but said he has some idea who he is.

(More shooting stories.)