At least 5 killed, 21 shot at in US state of Texas: Police
Houston, Sep 1: At least five persons were killed and 21 injured in the US state of Texas as a shooter targeted random people after being pulled over by traffic officials on Saturday, police said.
The incident happened in the area of Odessa and nearby Midland and police said the gunman was shot dead at the Cinergy movie theatre after a chase.
However, police did not identify the shooter by his name.
The man, who was in his 30s, opened fire around 3 pm (local time) after he was pulled over. He shot at the trooper who stopped him and began shooting people at random, local media quoted Chief Michael Gerke of the Odessa Police Department as saying.
The shooter eventually ditched his car, hijacked a US Postal Service vehicle and continued to open fire, he said. Two law enforcement officers were injured.
There were at least five deceased and 21 injured in the shooting, Gerke said.
Initially it was suspected that two people were involved in the shooting and police had said they were believed to be driving around separately in a gold/white-coloured Toyota vehicle and a stolen US Postal Service van.
In a Facebook post, the Midland Police Department said: "There is no active shooter at this time. All agencies are investigating reports of possible suspects."
During the shooting, authorities urged public to get off the road "and use extreme caution".
President Donald Trump said he has been briefed about the incident by Attorney General William Barr. "FBI and Law Enforcement is fully engaged," he tweeted.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the incident as a "senseless and cowardly attack".
"The state of Texas and the Department of Public Safety are working closely with local law enforcement to provide resources as needed and deliver justice for this heinous attack," he said in a statement.
"I thank the first responders who have acted swiftly and admirably under pressure, and I want to remind all Texans that we will not allow the Lone Star State to be overrun by hatred and violence. We will unite, as Texans always do, to respond to this tragedy," he added.
The mass shooting incident in the western Texas cities, located 32 km apart, happened nearly a month after a gunman killed 22 people and injured over two dozen as he opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso in the far western part of the state. The gunman in that shooting was arrested and charged.
Firearms caused nearly 40,000 deaths in the US in 2017, which was highest in 50 years, according to official data.
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Six faculty members of dental college suspended following student's suicide
Bengaluru (PTI): Six faculty members of a dental college here have been suspended by the management pending further inquiry into the death of a 23-year-old student by suicide.
In an official communication dated January 12, Bengaluru-based institution, The Oxford Dental College, said that the inquiry in the matter would continue and that the suspension would remain in force till further notification.
The suspended faculty members include senior lecturers Anmol Razdan, Shabana Banu, Faika Kolkar and Alba Dinesh, Reader Sindhu R, and Professor Sushmini Hegde, all from the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, the communication said.
The action comes after a third-year dental student of the college, Yashaswini, was found hanging at her residence here on Friday.
Family members have accused the college management of harassing her, alleging that she was subjected to humiliation, which drove her to take the extreme step.
She was the only child of her parents, Parimala and Bhudevaiah, police added. According to her mother, Yashaswini had taken leave on Wednesday, citing eye pain.
When she returned to college the following day, she was allegedly humiliated in front of other students for not participating in a seminar, her mother alleged.
Following Yashaswini's death, aggrieved students staged a sit-in protest outside the morgue, demanding action against those responsible.
Police said a case has been registered in connection with the incident, and further investigation is underway.
