Once again, for the second time in the span of a month, West Texas is reeling from another mass shooting. The Texas Panhandle has, thankfully, thus far been spared.
The death toll from Saturday’s massacre in Odessa has now risen to eight. A shooting that began with a simple traffic stop resulted in at least 19 injured, including three police officers and a 17-month old girl.
As Politico reports, Democratic presidential candidates Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro immediately condemned the shootings, with Castro calling the news “heartbreaking” and O’Rourke writing, “We need to end this epidemic.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence commended local law enforcement in Odessa “for their swift and courageous response.” And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, "We will not allow the Lone Star State to be overrun by hatred and violence.”
The Governor was in Odessa yesterday, meeting with victims and law enforcement.
