Seth Ator’s Texas Mass Shooting Not Yet Connected To Domestic Or International Terrorism, Says FBI


The Inquisitr reported that the suspect who opened fire in numerous locations across Odessa, Texas, in a seemingly random attack has been identified by several news outlets as Seth Ator, a 36-year-old white male. Officials know that Ator used an assault rifle-type of weapon for his attack, although they don’t yet know a motive.

Regardless, The Daily Beast reports that a preliminary FBI investigation suggested that the shooting is not rooted in domestic or international terrorism, although this could change as new information arises.

The mass shooting marks the third in Texas in the past year, including Patrick Crusius’s rampage in El Paso, Texas, which led to the deaths of 22 people.

“I have been to too many of these events,” said Republican Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott at a press conference. “Words alone are inadequate. Words must be met with action.”

“We must broaden our efforts to address (Odessa) and we must do so quickly. We need solutions that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals like the killer in Odessa while also ensuring that we safeguard rights.”

Per The Inquisitr, Texas just loosened gun restrictions on Sunday via a series of new laws, including one that allows Texans to carry firearms into places of worship, barring any signs that prohibit firearms. Reporters pressed Abbott about these new laws in the wake of the Odessa shooting.

“Some of these laws were enacted for the purpose of making our community safer,” he said, referencing one law that allows the arming of school marshals.

Abbott also claims that legislators are already talking about banning assault rifles, although he noted they weren’t used in all of the state’s mass shootings.

Heavy reports that little is known about Ator. The Texas Department of Public Safety reveals that Ator has a criminal record for trespassing and resisting arrest. In addition, there is one LinkedIn page for his name that lists him as a truck driver in Midland, Texas. However, the company is listed as “At&terdsniffers,” which could suggest the account is a joke.

According to people who knew Ator, he was originally from central-eastern Texas and graduated from Lorena High School in 2000. He was born September 27, 1982, and his parents are listed in the Texas birth index as Debra Sue Warren and Denis Keith Ator.

Online records reveal that Ator’s father is based in San Antonio and his mother in Amarillo. The pair were reportedly married in 1978 and divorced in 1987. Records show that the family has one daughter, and Ancestry reveals the family’s deep Texas roots.

Share this article: Seth Ator’s Texas Mass Shooting Not Yet Connected To Domestic Or International Terrorism, Says FBI
More from Inquisitr