Austin Police Briefing: Deadly Shooting at Target, Suspect Apprehended

Initial Incident and Response

• 🚨 Austin Police were initially called to a Target parking lot at 2:15 p.m. for a hot shot call.
• ⚡ Officers arrived within 4 minutes to find three people shot in the parking lot.
• 🏃 The suspect fled the scene, stole a car, wrecked it, and then hijacked a second car.

Suspect Apprehension and Victim Status

• 🚓 The suspect was later found by Austin PD in South Austin and taken into custody after a tasing.
• 💔 Three individuals are deceased as a result of the shooting.
• 🏥 One victim was pronounced deceased at the scene, while another was transported to a hospital and pronounced there.
• 🩹 An additional individual was treated on scene for unrelated injuries.

Investigation Details and Suspect Information

• 🕵️ The shooting occurred outside the store, not inside.
• 🚗 The suspect stole a car from the Target parking lot and then hijacked a second vehicle, believed to be a Volkswagen.
• 🧠 The suspect, a white male appearing to be 32 years old, has a mental health history and a prior arrest record with some emergency detention holds.
• 📹 Investigators are reviewing video footage to determine the sequence of events and if there was an altercation or a random act.

Public Safety and Cooperation

• 🙏 Chief Lisa Davis expressed condolences to the families and thanked public safety partners, including Fire, EMS, and Austin AISD, for their support.
• 🤝 The incident highlights significant cooperation among city agencies during a large-scale scene.
• 📍 The suspect was apprehended in the 2400 block of Lacosta in South Austin, with no known connection to that location.