A quiet morning in Midland, Texas, was shattered on June 22, 2026, when a tragic workplace shooting claimed the life of 31-year-old Iván Duarte. The incident unfolded at JAT Partner Logistics, a trucking company located in the 5400 block of East Highway 80. Mr. Duarte, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, was a husband and a father to two children. The violence of that day also took the life of his coworker, 45-year-old Jeff Waugh.
The events began to unfold at approximately 6:58 a.m.
when deputies from the Midland County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene following reports of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered three individuals, including Duarte and Waugh, deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Witness accounts from the scene painted a harrowing picture of an employee who had arrived at the business with the intent to start a fire. When confronted by a coworker, the individual reportedly opened fire, killing that person before entering the building and shooting a second individual.
The investigation into the tragic events was led by the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. While the identities of the victims, Iván Duarte and Jeff Waugh, were made public, authorities did not officially release the name of the third deceased individual, who is believed to be the shooter. Based on witness statements and the initial investigation, the incident has been characterized as a murder-suicide. The suspected shooter was also an employee of the company and died at the scene from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
As the investigation has been described as concluding with the death of the suspect, there have been no arrests made in connection with the deaths of Iván Duarte and Jeff Waugh. The motive for this act of violence remains unclear, leaving a community to grapple with the sudden and tragic loss of two of its members. The case, as it stands, is a somber reminder of the devastating impact of workplace violence, with the perpetrator having taken their own life, precluding any legal proceedings such as a trial, conviction, or sentencing.
