1: A gunman killed three and injured one outside a Target store in Texas.
2: Police apprehended him after he had fled the crime scene in a stolen car.
3: “This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families,” Kirk Watson, Austin’s mayor said.
At least three people were killed and one was injured after a man opened fire outside a Target store in Austin, Texas, on Monday. According to local officials, the suspect fled the scene in a stolen car before being taken into custody by police.
Authorities have not stated the shooter’s name. However, he was identified as a 32-year-old white male with a history of mental health issues, Austin police chief Lisa Davis said, according to the Guardian.
Investigators are still piecing together what happened in the Target parking lot and the factors that may have contributed to the attack. Mental illness alone is not considered a predictor of violence, and research from Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry notes that only 5% of shooting deaths in the U.S. involve individuals with mental health disabilities.
“This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families,” Kirk Watson, Austin’s mayor, said in a social media post. “While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I’ll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence.”
Authorities said the man, who had previously been placed on emergency detention holds for mental health concerns, stole two cars in succession after the shooting. The first vehicle’s driver was among the gunshot victims. After crashing that car, he stole another and was caught in south Austin after abandoning it. Officers deployed a Taser before taking him into custody, Davis said at a press briefing.
The police arrived within four minutes after receiving the first call at 2:15 PM local time. The responding officers found three people fatally shot in the parking lot.
An Austin-Travis County emergency services spokesperson said medics treated one person for unrelated injuries.
“This is a very sad day for Austin. It’s a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families,” the Guardian quoted Davis. Officials are yet to release information about the victims or a possible motive behind the incident.
The incident occurred during the busy back-to-school shopping period with the upcoming school season.
“We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas,” a Target Corporate spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian. The company said it is working with law enforcement on the investigation and will provide grief counseling and other resources to employees. “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.”
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