Mail Carrier, High School Student Among the Dead in West Texas Attack

The gunman shot at random for more than 10 miles, killing seven and leaving another 22 injured

Seven people between the ages of 15 and 57 were killed Saturday when a gunman armed with an AR-style weapon opened fire during a routine traffic stop and began a shooting rampage.

The gunman shot at random for more than 10 miles in the cities of Midland and Odessa. In addition to the seven people killed, another 25 were injured, including a toddler.

Here is what we know about some of the victims of the rampage:

MARY GRANADOS

Rosie Granados
Mary Granados, pictured

Mail carrier Mary Granados, 29, was alone in her U.S. Postal Service truck when she was shot and killed by the gunman, who hijacked the federal vehicle at some point during the turmoil.

She had been on the phone with her twin sister, Rosie Granados, when the vehicle was hijacked. "She was just screaming and I was desperate. I was just desperate to go where she was at, go help her, you know," Rosie told NBC 5.

US Postal Service officials said in a statement Sunday that they were "shocked and saddened" by the events, but were "especially grieving the loss of our postal family member."

It was in Granados' mail truck where police shot and killed the gunman. Police had used a marked SUV to ram the mail truck, disabling it outside the Cinergy Movie Theater in Odessa.

As seven families prepare to bury their loved ones, and nearly two dozen more pray for healing, they're sharing some of the frightening moments Saturday's shooting victims across Midland and Odessa endured.

RODOLFO 'RUDY' ARCO

The owner of a trucking company who was killed in West Texas had moved from Las Vegas after a 2017 mass shooting at a music festival because he thought it would be safer, a sister said.

Family Photo
Rodolfo "Rudy" Arco, pictured

Rodolfo "Rudy" Arco, a native of Cuba, "felt that Odessa was the place to go. He sold everything in Vegas and moved there, in the hopes that things would be safer for him and the family," Maria Arco told the Arizona Republic.

Maria Arco said her brother, 57, died instantly when shots were fired at his truck.

Seven people between the ages of 15 and 57 were killed Saturday when a gunman armed with an AR-style weapon opened fire during a routine traffic stop and began a shooting rampage. The gunman shot at random for more than 10 miles in the cities of Midland and Odessa. In addition to the seven people killed, another 22 were injured, including a toddler.

LEILAH HERNANDEZ

Leilah, 15, was with her family Saturday as her 18-year-old brother, Nathan, picked up a truck. Nathan and Leilah were shot while walking out of the dealership, her grandmother, Nora Leyva, told the Post.

"I guess he was just looking for someone to kill," she said.

Leyva said Leilah's mother pushed Leilah's 9-year-old brother under a car. Nathan wrapped his arms around Leilah and was shot in the arm. Another bullet struck Leilah near her collarbone.

"Help me, help me," the girl said as she died, Leyva said.

Leilah, an Odessa High School student, celebrated her quinceanera in May.

"It was like a dream for her," Leyva said.

Odessa High's school district, the Ector County Independent School District, didn't name Leilah but said one of its students was among those killed.

As families remember loved ones lost and prayer for others to recover, many say it won't be just about healing physically, but mentally and emotionally after a deadly shooting spree in the Permian Basin.

ANDERSON DAVIS

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said 17-month-old Anderson is recovering but she faces surgery on Monday to remove shrapnel from her right chest. She also suffered injuries to her face. Abbott says her mother, Kelby Davis, texted: "Her mouth is pretty bad, but will heal and can be fixed. Thankfully it doesn't seem like her jaw was hit. Just lips, teeth and tongue. ... We are thanking God for healing her and appreciate continued prayers."

Kelby Davis
Anderson Davis, pictured

A joint public statement issued by the Davis family offered thanks to emergency responders, hospital staff and "strangers who offered to help us on the street."

Eric Finley, spokesman for UMC Health System in Lubbock, said in an email that the toddler was released from hospital on Sunday.

Abbott says the girl's mother also texted: "Toddlers are funny because they can get shot but still want to run around and play."

KAMERON BROWN

GoFundMe
Kameron Brown, pictured

Kameron Brown's death was confirmed by his employer, Standard Safety & Supply in Odessa, which serves the oil industry.

"We are deeply saddened at the loss of a member of our team," the company said.

KRBC-TV's website reports Brown, a resident of Brownwood, was a veteran who served in Afghanistan and had been an employee of Standard Safety & Supply, working as a first-aid and fire protection service for over a year.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help Brown's loved ones cover funeral expense.

Authorities said Sunday they still could not explain why a man with an AR-style weapon opened fire during a routine traffic stop in West Texas to begin a terrifying, 10-mile rampage that killed seven people, injured 22 others and ended with officers gunning him down outside a movie theater.

EDWIN PEREGRINO

Peregrino, 25, ran into the yard of his parents' Odessa home to investigate after hearing gunshots, his sister, Eritizi Peregrino, told The Washington Post. The gunman speeding by the home opened fire, killing him.

"It happened at our home. You think you're safe at your own house," Eritizi Peregrino, 23, said in an interview. "You're not even safe at your own house."

Eritizi Peregrino's husband also was shot. She said he is recovering.

Eritizi Peregrino said her brother was home for the weekend to talk about his new job and his new life in San Antonio.

"You could always count on him for anything," she said. "He would always help my parents and his siblings. I knew I could always rely on him and call on him."

JOSEPH GRIFFITH

Griffith was killed while sitting at a traffic light with his wife and two children, his oldest sister, Carla Byrne, told the Post.

"This maniac pulled up next to him and shot him, took away his life, murdered my baby brother. Like nothing," Byrne said. "We are so broken."

Byrne said Griffith, 40, worked six days a week to support his family. He was known for his sense of humor and an uncanny ability to impersonate people.

Griffith previously worked as a math teacher. One day before his death, a former student told Griffith what an "awesome teacher he was," his sister said.

DANIEL MUNOZ

Munoz, 28, who was injured, recalled the harrowing details of coming into the path of the gunman, who was later killed by officers. Munoz was in his car on the way to meet a friend for a drink, when he yielded to a car coming off Interstate 20. He immediately noticed what he feared to be a barrel of a rifle in the hands of the driver.

"This is my street instincts: When a car is approaching you and you see a gun of any type, just get down," Munoz, who moved from San Diego about a year ago to work in oil country, told The Associated Press. "Luckily I got down. ... Sure enough, I hear the shots go off. He let off at least three shots on me."

He's not exactly sure, but it appears one shot hit the engine, another struck the driver's side window and a third a rear window. Some shattered glass punctured his left shoulder, causing him to bleed a lot and go to a nearby hospital. He said he's physically OK but bewildered by the experience.

"I'm just trying to turn the corner and I got shot -- I'm getting shot at?" Munoz said. "What's the world coming to? For real? I'm just over here minding my own business, getting my own gas."

RAUL GARCIA

A 35-year-old from El Paso, Garcia was included on a list of the deceased released by the city of Odessa Monday afternoon.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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