An FBI agent working in the Texas panhandle was shot Thursday night. The agent is currently listed in critical condition in a Lubbock hospital. The suspect in the shooting is in custoday at this time.
FBI Special Agent Mike Orndorff was shot while working in the town of Crosbyton, which is located about 30 miles east of Lubbock on U.S. Highway 82. He is reported to be in critical condition at University Medical Center in Lubbock, according to KCBD-NBC11 in Lubbock.
Agent Orndorff was reported by Fox34 to be serving a warrant when the shooting occurred.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Sergeant Bryan Witt told KCBD reporters that the DPS and FBI were conducting a joint investigation and were in the process arresting the suspect when the shooting began. No information has been released as to the identity of the suspect or the nature of the investigation.
The DPS criminal intelligence division, the Texas Rangers and the FBI were on a joint investigation to apprehend a suspect, Sergeant Witt told EverythingLubbock.com. “During that apprehension an incident happened. We’re not able to go into it at this time because it is still under investigation.”
KTRE ABC9 in Pollock, Texas, is reporting the suspect in custody is not the shooter. They did not elaborate if there is another suspect or if Agent Orndorff was shot by friendly fire.
Prior to becoming an FBI agent in the 1990’s Agent Orndorff served as a Lubbock police officer. He was reported to have been involved in at least two high profile investigations in the Lubbock office. Those investigations include the terrorism case of Khalid Aldawsari and the murder of Colorado City teen Hailey Dunn.
The Aldawsari investigation led to the suspect’s arrest on a charge of an attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in 2011, according to an FBI press release obtained by Breitbart Texas. Orndorff’s investigation revealed that Aldawsari had been researching online how to construct an IED. He had also acquired or taken steps to acquire most of the ingredients needed to made the device. The suspect was convicted in June, 2012 and sentenced to life in prison.
Hailey Dunn went missing on December 28, 2010. Her body was eventually discovered near Lake Thomas in Scurry County on March 16, 2013. She was identified through DNA testing. While police have reported having a suspect in the case, the murder of this young girl remains an open investigation. The family of Hailey Dunn has established a Facebook page where people can remember their loved one and provide any information that might lead to an arrest of the girl’s killer. Sadly, the last entry on that page was in August, 2013.
The details of this shooting incident are still developing.
This article has been updated. The special agent’s start of service date was accidentally reported as the 1960’s when it was actually the 1990’s.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.
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