2026 Midland shooting

On June 12, 2026, a mass shooting occurred in Midland, Texas, United States. The gunman, 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal, opened fire on random bystanders and passing vehicles on Texas State Highway Loop 250, killing a man and injuring ten other people. He then barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic and committed suicide. Villarreal had an extensive criminal history and was the subject of a manhunt after shooting at a police officer during a car chase two days before the shooting.^{[1] [2]}

On September 1, 2021, the Leilah Hernandez Act, which was named after 2019 Midland–Odessa shooting victim Leilah Hernandez, came into effect after being signed by Texas governor Greg Abbott earlier that year. The act created a new alert system which would send messages, called Leilah alerts, to the phones of people in the area of an active shooter in a similar manner to Amber alerts warning them to stay out of the area.^[3] The first alert came out to residents a day after Victor Mata Villarreal opened fire at a police officer two days before the mass shooting.^[4]

Officers heard gunfire from a building in the 4600 block of West Wall Street at around 8:03a.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Midland Police Department responded to the scene. Upon arrival, the suspect fired shots at officers and bystanders before barricading himself inside of the abandoned Tall City Veterinary Hospital.^[5] The truck of a truck driver who was shot by Villarreal blocked the shooter's line of sight.^[6]

During the shooting, Leilah alerts were sent out to people in a certain geographic perimeter around the shooting to avoid the area of the shooting and to shelter in place.^[4] A witness said they heard at least 40 gunshots. Dozens of squad cars and law enforcement vehicles were dispatched to the scene.^[5] The suspect was found dead at 12:30p.m. from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff and no law enforcement officers were injured during the shooting.^{[1] [7] [8]}

One man was killed, and ten other people were injured. The deceased victim was identified as 62-year-old Edward Randall Scott, a City of Midland employee and longtime member of the local softball community.^{[9] [10]} Nine injured victims were taken to Midland Memorial Hospital. Five were discharged by the afternoon while three others were discharged from the operating room and one remained there.^[1] Another victim was transported to Odessa Medical Center Hospital.^[11]

The victim who was transported to Odessa was a truck driver who suffered a gunshot wound to the heart, and he suffered a heart attack and had his lungs collapsed as a result of his injuries.^{[6] [12]} At the hospital, the victim underwent three surgeries, and by June 19 remained intubated.^[6] By June 25, three victims remained hospitalized.^[13] Another victim, who was stopped at a red light when he was shot through his elbow into his torso, shattering his elbow and causing trauma to his liver and spleen and significant abdominal injuries. After being shot, the victim was put into a medically induced coma for the following week after the attack.^[14]

The perpetrator was identified as 45-year-old Victor Mata Villarreal (1981 – June 12, 2026), a resident of nearby Odessa. Villarreal had an extensive criminal history dating back to 2003 and 2004 for unlawfully carrying a weapon, in 2008 for domestic charges, and in 2009 for unlawfully carrying a firearm in San Angelo.^[15] Prior to the shooting, Midland authorities had been searching for Villarreal since June 10, two days before the shooting, after he fired multiple shots at a police officer during a high-speed chase on the same day. He opened fire when police closed in on him.^[1]

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel confirmed in a post on X that the FBI is investigating.^[16] The Texas Ranger Division is also investigating the shooting.^[17]

The night of the shooting, 100 people gathered at Centennial Park for a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the shooting.^[17] Three days after the attack, the main lanes of the business route of Interstate 20 in the city reopened to traffic.^[18] A blood drive was hosted on June 17 at Midland Memorial Hospital by Vitalant, state representative Tom Craddick, and AT&T to replenish the local blood supply in the aftermath of the shooting.^[19] One of the victims recovering in hospital from the shooting was fired from his job due to his inability to come in to work.^[14]

Texas governor Greg Abbott posted on X that he and his wife, Cecilia Phalen Abbott, were "deeply saddened" by the shooting, that he and his wife were "praying for the victims, their families, and the entire community", and praised the response from law enforcement agencies.^[20] Midland mayor Lori Blong said that Abbott reached out to her in response to the shooting and that Abbott authorized a request from her to have all flags in Midland to be lowered to half-staff until June 21.^[21] US representative August Pfluger, who represents the area, said that he and his team were monitoring the situation and that he was "Extremely grateful for the bravery of local law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to protect our community".^[20] Pfluger met with Blong and Midland police chief Seth Snow later that day.^[22] Claire Reynolds, Pfluger's Democratic opponent, said that she was "heartbroken" and that it was "impossible to accept that these acts of violence have become such a familiar part of American life". Reynolds also praised West Texans for their response to the shooting.^[20] Pfluger paid tribute to murdered victim Edward Scott while on the floor of the US House of Representatives at the US Capitol.^[23]

Member of the Texas House of Representatives, James Talarico, who is running for US Senate, said that he was "devastated to hear of the shooting that took place this morning in Midland", thanked law enforcement, and urged people looking for information about their loved ones who might have been effected by the shooting to visit a reunification center at Midland Memorial Hospital. Tom Craddick, the incumbent representative of Texas' 82nd district, which includes Midland, said that he and his wife were "heartbroken" by the shooting and thanked law enforcement for their response. Cathy Broadrick, the Democratic nominee for the 82nd district, said that she "love[d] the reaction from the city" and that she wished to see a review done about how law enforcement improved their response since the 2019 Midland–Odessa shootings.^[20]

• 2026 Austin bar shooting – another mass shooting in Texas earlier in the year
• Crime in Texas
• List of mass shootings in the United States in 2026