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7th West Texas death identified; 'truck driver in heaven'

A 29-year-old postal worker whose mail vehicle was hijacked during the shooting and a 15-year-old student were among the seven killed.

A 35-year-old trucker who was among the seven people killed by a gunman in West Texas was returning home to his family when he was shot, relatives said.

Raul Garcia, a father of four from El Paso, Texas, was identified by authorities in Odessa, Texas.

"Just like my son said, 'Mom, now he'll be a truck driver in heaven,'" Garcia's wife, Perla Garcia , told KVIA-TV.

Police say Seth Aaron Ator killed Garcia and six others and injured more than 20, on Saturday after he was fired by his employer, Journey Oilfield Services. Ator fired at random as he drove in the area of Odessa and Midland, cities more than 300 miles (480 kilometers) west of Dallas.

Luis Garcia said his brother "would be there for everybody."

Ator, 36, was killed by police.

A look at others who died:

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Credit: AP
A man prays outside of the Medical Center Hospital Emergency room in Odessa, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, following a shooting at random in the area of Odessa and Midland. Several people were dead after a gunman who hijacked a postal service vehicle in West Texas shot more than 20 people, authorities said Saturday. The gunman was killed and a few law enforcement officers were among the injured. (Mark Rogers/Odessa American via AP)

Here are stories about some of Saturday's other victims:

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."

___

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 quinceañera 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.

___

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."

___

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."

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."

RELATED: Records show Midland-Odessa shooter once lived in Lorena and Waco

Credit: AP
Authorities look at a U.S. Mail vehicle, which was involved in Saturday's shooting, outside the Cinergy entertainment center Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, in Odessa, Texas. (Mark Rogers/Odessa American via AP)

RODOLFO "RUDY" ARCO

Maria Arco said her brother, 57, died instantly when shots were fired at his truck. Arco, a native of Cuba, moved to West Texas from Las Vegas after a 2017 mass shooting at a music festival.

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

KAMERON BROWN

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.

TV station KOSA says it received a video showing the Army veteran dead in a company pickup truck outside Ratliff Stadium, a high school football stadium. Standard Safety declined to comment on the circumstances.

MARY GRANADOS

Granados, 29, was alone in her mail truck when she was shot and killed by a gunman who had hijacked the vehicle.

U.S. 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."

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