Three people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a Target parking lot in Austin on Monday afternoon – and the suspect was detained after crashing a hijacked vehicle.
The unnamed attacker, who was described as white and wearing a Hawaiian shirt, fired at shoppers at the store on Research Boulevard in Texas shortly after 2pm, with police saying they received an initial report about a shooting at 2.15pm.
When Austin police then arrived at the scene, they found three people shot in the parking lot.
Medics pronounced two of the victims dead at the scene, while a third succumbed to their injuries en route to a local hospital.
One other victim suffered unrelated injuries and was treated at the scene, authorities said.
The suspect, identified only as a 32-year-old white male with a known mental health issue and prior criminal history, fled the scene in a stolen vehicle.
He promptly crashed the car, at which point he hijacked another vehicle from a local Volkswagen dealership, Police Chief Lisa Davis said at an evening news conference.
At least three were killed after a gunman opened fire in the parking lot of a Target store in north Austin Monday
One other person was treated at the scene for unrelated injuries
But officers were quickly able to track down the suspect about 18 miles south of the shooting.
Police then used a Taser on the suspect and took him into custody, though he has not yet been charged and a motive remains unclear.
Those at the Target have told how they ran for cover.
‘I was inside the store, but then I hear on the radio like shots fired, so then they just told us “active shooter…” so we just ran outside, we told guests to get out,’ Freyen Sagastume, an employee told KXAN.
‘I thought that this only happened like in the news and stuff and then like I kind of just froze at first, but then I saw everyone running.’
Meanwhile, at the nearby Jiffy Lube, employees hunkered down and locked the store’s doors when they became aware there was a shooting outside.
One mechanic, Paul Smith, told Spectrum Local News he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic.
‘I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before,’ he recounted.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference that the suspect is mentally ill and is known to the local police
The suspect was apprehended after he fled to South Austin
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has been informed of the shooting and is being kept abreast of developments.
‘This is a devastating situation and my heart is with the victims and their families,’ he wrote on X.
‘While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I’ll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence,’ the mayor continued, adding that he is ‘grateful for the quick response of our APD officers and other first responders and want to thank them for their actions to apprehend the suspect.’
A spokesperson for Target also said it will be providing counseling to staff members who experienced the shooting.
‘We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin and all those impacted by this tragedy,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are working with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation and are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly at the scene.
‘In the days ahead, we will continue partnering with law enforcement and will be providing support resources, including grief counseling, to our team.’
