Who Was Seth Ator? The Accused Odessa, Texas Shooter Who Allegedly Killed 7 Smiles in Old Mug Shot

He’s not a threat anymore. Seth Ator was identified as the alleged gunman who was shot and killed by police after he went on a shooting rampage in Odessa and Midland, Texas, on Saturday, August 31. What do we know about the individual accused of killing 7 people and injuring 22 in this latest mass shooting?

He Was Fired Before the Shooting

Ator, 36, was fired just hours before he fired shot at a trooper and allegedly hijacked a U.S. Postal Service mail truck after killing the employee operating it. Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke confirmed to CBS that Ator lost his job with Journey Oilfield Services the same morning as the shooting. In fact, the company also called 911 on Saturday after Ator was fired.

FBI agent Christopher Combs told USA Today that Ator’s mental state was questionable and “He didn’t wake up Saturday morning and go into his company and then it happened. He went to that company in trouble and had probably been in trouble for a while.”

He Had a Criminal History

Odessa Police were asked during a press conference if the gunman had a previous arrest history, according to Heavy, and they confirmed that he did. He was charged with “Criminal Trespass” on August 3, 2001, in McLennan County, Texas — a Class B Misdemeanor. He was also charged with a second offense for Evading Arrest. Ator issued a guilty plea in February of 2002 and got a sentence of 24 months on probation. A national database search didn’t bring up past federal charges.

He Called the FBI Before the Shooting

Ator himself called the FBI and 911 before he allegedly went on his shooting rampage. Agent Combs described the calls to USA Today as “rambling statements about some of the atrocities that he felt that he had gone through.” When a Texas Department of Public Safety officer pulled the gunman over 15 minutes later for failing to signal a turn, they were unaware of those calls.

Neighbors and Others May Have Noticed Warning Signs

A neighbor of Ator’s, Rocio Gutierrez, told the Associated Press that he was “a violent, aggressive person” that would shoot at animals all night — particularly rabbits. “We were afraid of him because you could tell what kind of person he was just by looking at him,” Gutierrez said. “He was not nice, he was not friendly, he was not polite.” She added that Ator knocked on their door recently around 4 a.m., but they didn’t answer and noted that it was “frightening.”

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Additionally, Ator previously failed a federal background check for a firearm, according to John Wester — an agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms — and The New York Times. He didn’t detail when or why Ator failed the check.

He Allegedly Killed 7 People

Ator allegedly shot and killed 7 people in the mass shooting. Mary Granados, 29, was a postal worker. Joseph Griffith, 40, was waiting at a traffic light with his wife and two kids when he was shot to death, according to The Washington Post. Edwin Peregrino, 25, was visiting his parents in Odessa and was shot in the yard when he went to investigate.

Leilah Hernandez, 15, had just celebrated her quinceañera in May and was shot, along with her 18-year-old brother, Nathan, as they left a car dealership. Nathan wrapped his arms around Leilah and was shot in the arm, but survived. Rodolfo “Rudy” Arco, 57, owned a trucking company in Odessa and was driving Saturday when three bullets were fired at his truck. One struck and killed him instantly, USA Today reported. Kameron Brown, 30, a U.S. Army soldier, was also killed. Finally, Raul Garcia, 35, a truck driver from El Paso and father of four was going home when he was killed in the massacre.