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Texas gunman had been fired hours before shooting: reports
The Hill ^ | 09/02/19 | Chris Mills Rodrigo

Posted on 09/02/2019 5:29:54 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter

The man who killed seven people in Odessa, Texas, over the weekend had been fired from his trucking job hours before the mass shooting, according to multiple reports.

The gunman, identified Sunday as Seth Aaron Ator, lead officials on a high speed chase during which he indiscriminately fired on motorists and police officers. Ator was killed after being chased by officers.

The New York Times first reported that Ator had been fired from his trucking job in Odessa.

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He was pulled over Saturday by state troopers for failing to use a turn single before beginning firing, according to police.

An additional 22 people were injured in the mass shooting, which was the second to strike Texas in August.

Ator had a criminal record but there were no open warrants for his arrest.

Despite the reports of his firing, police say a motive is still not known for the shooting.

“There are no definitive answers as to motive or reasons at this point, but we are fairly certain that the subject did act alone,” Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke said at a news conference.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; ator; banglist; betoorourke; chrismillsrodrigo; irishbob; loser; midland; nra; odessa; psycho; secondamendment; sethator; texas; thehill; thehillary; theshill
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To: MeanWestTexan

Does not excuse....people get fired every day and don’t go shooting up the neighborhood. I don’t care what his reasons are......you pick up a gun and shoot people you’re a Killer. This guy knew exactly what he wanted to do and did it.


41 posted on 09/02/2019 8:13:49 AM PDT by caww
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To: realcleanguy

He just got the source for his drug money cut off....then got stopped by police.....he was on a downward spiral to begin with....

People with drug issues often loose their jobs.


42 posted on 09/02/2019 8:18:30 AM PDT by caww
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To: MeanWestTexan
Is the town of Moynihan still there?
43 posted on 09/02/2019 8:19:45 AM PDT by going hot (happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: imardmd1

He was a meth head. Talked to his boss.


44 posted on 09/02/2019 8:19:52 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

See, that wouldn’t have happened if Bernie was president.
No firings allowed. Get paid whether you work or not.
This guy would have just been told to go home and take the week or two off.


45 posted on 09/02/2019 8:20:48 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: going hot

There is a “Monahans”. Not far.


46 posted on 09/02/2019 8:21:02 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: caww

Who said it “excused” anything?


47 posted on 09/02/2019 8:21:50 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: caww
Does not excuse....people get fired every day and don’t go shooting up the neighborhood.

Exactly right. Was fired several times for being conservative in public schools and have never considered doing that. However, people without values, (liberal leftist Democrats) do go on killing sprees.

48 posted on 09/02/2019 8:22:06 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: Vinnie

‘Get paid whether you work or not’


49 posted on 09/02/2019 8:23:50 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: 9422WMR

re: “The troopers should have crashed that mini van off the interstate,”

WHEN was the last time you saw a postal van delivering mail ON an interstate?


50 posted on 09/02/2019 8:27:20 AM PDT by _Jim (Save babies)
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To: Travis McGee

Failure to use a turn signal will become grounds to red flag potential gun buyers.


51 posted on 09/02/2019 8:28:09 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: Travis McGee

Anyone who’s ever been fired from a job will become grounds to red flag potential gun buyers.


52 posted on 09/02/2019 8:28:42 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: MeanWestTexan

Got out of us army at ft hood in Feb 1971. Was hitchhiking home to la ca area. Stuck in monahans from early am to late afternoon. Finally Got a ride in a 5/4 stakside truck all the way to my front door,with a dog!


53 posted on 09/02/2019 8:29:28 AM PDT by going hot (happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: Don Corleone

Exactly, laws against murder have not stopped a single one.


54 posted on 09/02/2019 8:29:58 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here Of Citizen Parents_Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Big Red Badger

The blue max has been closed for about 5 years.

I actually never went. Went to Riley’s once at the urging of some service company guys that got my first horizontal down. and the wife of the cook stabbed the cook to death.

Not my scene, and that confirmed it.


55 posted on 09/02/2019 8:30:22 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: MeanWestTexan

The Blue Max was a
Rat Hole dive 30 yrs ago.
Warfield truckstop was a
Great place for lunch.
I was there for 3 yrs.
Moved to INDY for
A Real Job.
Thanks.


56 posted on 09/02/2019 8:35:10 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (Despised by the Despicable!)
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To: Big Red Badger

The Warfield truck stop is still around. Only place to get 95 octane in town.

Have a couple of cars that prefer it over the 91 you can get everywhere else.


57 posted on 09/02/2019 8:39:30 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Sometimes There Is No Lesser Of Two Evils)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

Now that makes sense...It provides a motive for the murders...

He left his house with a loaded weapon in his car...He was going to go postal on someone...Perhaps his employer who fired him...As bad luck would have it, he gets pulled over by the cops...So now what are his options???

He can get arrested and go to jail for having a loaded rifle in his car, or, he can shoot the cops and try to carry out his mission...He quickly realizes he’s a dead man driving and won’t get to take revenge on whoever wronged him...

He then decides to start shooting innocent people; those who won’t understand his problems and frustrations and will go home to nice families while he’s destined to die in short order...

In a bout of self preservation, he decides there’s a chance of escape so he kills a postal worker and steals her van...And the rest is history...


58 posted on 09/02/2019 8:59:23 AM PDT by Iscool
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To: caww
.people get fired every day and don’t go shooting up the neighborhood

True...But I'll bet a fair number think about it...

59 posted on 09/02/2019 9:00:17 AM PDT by Iscool
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To: Iscool

The irony is that in TX, it’s legal to carry a rifle in your car. If he’d kept his cool and apologized to the cop, something along the lines of “sorry about that, I had a lot on my mind and just forgot”, the cop might have just let him go with a warning and no mention of the gun. Even if he got a ticket, he knew he was about to shoot up his workplace and probably would have ended up being shot by police, so he wouldn’t have been around to face the ticket anyway.


60 posted on 09/02/2019 9:24:30 AM PDT by Little Pig
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