MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — Despite reports on social media, there are no reports on an active shooter in the Permian Basin.
DPS officials have called the situation a "complete hoax".
According to the Midland County Sheriff's Office, the call originally came in about a kidnapping and shots fired. The man who made the false report, later identified as 72-year-old Lawrence Holley, has been arrested and charged with a false report inducing an emergency response, a class A misdemeanor.
DPS tells us there were additional calls made stating that troopers and deputies had been shot as well.
No civilians or officers have been shot and all officers are accounted for in Midland County and Upton County as well as DPS.
The affidavit revealed Holley made a 9-1-1 call and said that there was a someone kidnapped and another person shot. He also said the suspect was in a trailer house.
At that time, it was believed that a Texas DPS Trooper had been possibly shot. After hearing that information, law enforcement agencies from Midland, Midland County, Upton County, Odessa, Crane, Rankin and Big Lake all responded to the call at 707 East County Road 320.
When the law enforcement agencies arrived, the entire property was checked and no one was located. After checking the area, Holley was contacted and stated that a black male had pulled a gun on him while he was riding his mule.
He then stated the black male ran off to the east and shot a Texas DPS Trooper and his family. Holley would go on to finish his story by saying that the man ran into an RV located north of the location and had not left since.
When he finished his story, the Midland County SWAT Team checked the RV and did not locate the person. It was later found out that the RV belonged to Holley and that he currently lives there.
The Midland County Mental Health Unit did evaluate Holley and determined he did not meet the criteria.
In the event of an active shooter situation, there would be an alert sent out to smart phones in the area.
The active shooter alert system was put in place in September 2021 after being passed by the Texas Legislature under the "Leilah Hernadez Act", named after the youngest person killed in the August 2019 Midland-Odessa mass shooting.
