NEED TO KNOW
- Austin police responded to a shooting on Monday, Aug. 11 outside a Target store
- A suspect was arrested after stealing a car and fleeing the scene
- Three people were killed, per local officials
Three people have been killed in a shooting outside a Target store in Texas, per local officials.
Austin Police Department responded to “a shooting incident” at the Target on 8601 Research Boulevard in North Austin, the department announced just after 2 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11.
Police said they were looking for a suspect in khaki shorts and a floral print t-shirt. Within the hour, they announced in an update that a suspect was detained.
The suspect, later identified at a press conference as a 32-year-old male, stole a car from the scene and fled, crashed that car, then stole another car from a dealership before he was caught and arrested in South Austin, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
He was taken into custody by officers after being subdued by a stun gun.
One of the victims who was shot is believed to be the driver of the car that was stolen outside the Target store, Davis said.
“This is a very sad day for Austin,” she said, adding that the suspect “does have a mental health history.”
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Austin Mayor Kirk Watson confirmed an investigation is ongoing while expressing his condolences to the families of the victims over the “devastating situation.”
“This was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence,” he said on X. “I am grateful for the quick response of our ADP officers and other first responders and want to thank them for their actions to apprehend the suspect.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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