While we generally focus on Forney news here at 20PM, Halloween this year seems to be off to an ominous start with two D/FW area news stories that many in Forney are discussing today.

First, from the US Geological Survey (USGS), a 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck the region at 12:01AM local time this morning. The quake, centered in Irving (see below for a map of the epicenter, and click the map for an interactive version. Map courtesy of Google.), was preceded by a 2.5-magnitude quake centered near Grand Prairie. According to the USGS, the quake originated 5 kilometers (a little more than 3 miles) under the Earth’s surface in an area just south of 183 near the Story Road/Belt Line Road area in Irving. Thus far, no injuries or damage have been reported from the quake, which was described by those who felt is as a sharp jolting motion followed by rapid shaking.

In an interesting twist, John Ferguson, a geosciences professor at UT-Dallas has said that while these quakes do tend to occur once every 10 years in the region, it’s impossible to rule out the recent massive increase in drilling for natural gas in the Barnett Shale in Tarrant County as the cause of today’s quake. When natural gas is extracted from the shale, it impacts the fluid pressure deep below the Earth’s surface and could set off a quake like the one experienced today.

Scientists say that aftershocks could continue to occur for several days. The map below shows roughly where scientists believe the earthquake could be felt.

The second story that’s become the talk of the town today is the robbery and shooting at a Mesquite bank. At about 9:30AM this morning, a man armed with a handgun entered the Compass Bank on Galloway near Town East Blvd, right across the street from Poteet High School. While robbing the bank, the suspect shot two women, believed to be bank employees. One was shot in the log and the other received a grazing wound to the head. The women were transported to an area hospital and while their condition has not been released, their injuries were not expected to be life threatening.

The suspect fled on foot to the Stoneleigh Apartments, which are located behind the bank. Police are combing through the complex on foot, by vehicle and by helicopter while searching for the suspect who was described as a black man with a bandage on his nose, carrying a backpack and a chrome-plated handgun. He is described as wearing a black workshirt with a name on it, black pants and a black cap. He is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and about 140 pounds.

Given the proximity to area schools and the fact that the gunman was still on the lose, Mesquite ISD placed 8 schools in lockdown this morning. Mesquite ISD officials confirmed that the following nearby schools were put in lockdown: Poteet and North Mesquite high schools; Kimbrough and Wilkinson middle schools; and Austin, Beasley, Cannaday, Kimball elementary schools. All schools have since been taken off lockdown on the advice of area police officials.

The suspect is still at large and the search continues.

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