The alleged Odessa shooter may have purchased his weapon in a private sale despite failing a background check in 2014

Home of suspect in West Odessa, Texas, shooting.

(Image credit: Cengiz Yar/Getty Images)

published 3 September 2019

Seth Ator, the alleged gunman in the mass shooting that occurred Saturday in the area between Midland and Odessa, Texas, reportedly purchased his weapon from a private seller, law enforcement officials told NBC News.

Ator, who allegedly went on a shooting rampage after being fired from his job before being shot and killed by police, reportedly failed a gun background check when attempting to purchase a weapon in 2014 because he had a disqualifying mental health issue. Law enforcement is now reportedly investigating the private sale. If it turns out the person was aware of Ator's mental health issue when the weapon — which reportedly may have been a .223 AR-15 style firearm — was sold, the seller could face criminal charges, NBC News reports. But if it's determined the seller was not privy to Ator's previous failed background check, the sale may have been legal, as private sales are not required by law to run background checks.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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