One arrest made in Austin, Texas, mass shooting that injured 14 people
(CNN)Authorities have arrested one person in connection with the mass shooting overnight in downtown Austin, Texas, that left 14 people injured, Mayor Steve Adler’s office said.
Two of the people injured were in critical condition, Austin Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at a press briefing Saturday.
There was no information immediately available surrounding the circumstances of the arrest.
During the Saturday news briefing, Chacon said authorities had identified two male suspects responsible for the shooting, and added that it appeared this was an isolated incident between the two parties.
The scene of the shooting in downtown Austin.
Almost all of those injured were “innocent bystanders,” the chief added.
Austin police got their first 911 call shortly before 1:30 a.m., followed by several more calls of shots fired, Chacon said. As shots rang out, officers on the block were able to immediately respond, he said.
“They were there within seconds,” the chief said. “And quickly identified several shooting victims that were in distress. They began immediate life-saving measures.”
He credits their speedy action, in part, for the lack of fatalities in the shooting.
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An ‘uptick in gun violence’
Chacon said investigators are reviewing video footage from multiple sources Saturday, including the city’s system of video surveillance cameras, to determine what happened.
“Officers have their body-worn cameras, we have the public safety, HALO camera system which we have had for a number of years, which did capture parts of this incident,” Chacon said. “And of course the local businesses themselves have security footage that we are reviewing for evidence.”
Adler, the mayor, commented on the shooting downtown in a series of tweets.
“The uptick in gun violence locally is part of a disturbing rise in gun violence across the country as we exit the pandemic,” he said.
“APD and the City Council have initiated multiple violence prevention efforts in response but this crisis requires a broader, coordinated response from all levels of government.
“One thing is clear – greater access to firearms does not equal greater public safety.”
Dewitt Peart, president and CEO of the Downtown Austin Alliance, said in a statement, “We are saddened that Austin has joined the far too lengthy list of communities that have experienced mass shootings.
“This senseless violence must end. We will continue our work towards ensuring downtown is as safe, clean and welcoming for all, but today, we are thinking of those affected by this shooting. We need to come together, care for each other and be strong together for Austin.”
Police arrest 1 of 2 in Austin mass shooting that wounded 14
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for another after a mass shooting on a crowded downtown Austin street left 14 people wounded early Saturday, two of them critically.
The Austin Police Department said in a news release that the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted in making the arrest, but it provided no other details other than to say it is continuing to follow up on leads for the suspect still at large.
Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said the shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on a street packed with bars and barricaded off from vehicle traffic. He said investigators believe it began as a dispute between two parties. Chacon said both suspects are male, but declined to disclose details such as whether both fired shots, saying the investigation was ongoing.
“Most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement is in this case,” Chacon said.
The mass shooting — one of at least three in the U.S. overnight — sparked panic along 6th Street, a popular nightlife destination in the city that’s home to the University of Texas.
One witness, Matt Perlstein, told KXAN-TV that he was waiting with a friend to enter a bar when gunfire erupted.
“Everything was totally fine,” Perlstein said, then gunfire erupted. “We just heard like … a bunch of gunshots going off. Everyone got on the ground. We couldn’t even comprehend what was going on at the time.”
Chacon said his officers responded quickly to the area.
“They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals,” he said.
Because of the chaos on the barricaded street, police drove six of the wounded to hospitals in their squad cars. Ambulances transported four people and the other four made their own way to hospitals, he said.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement thanking police and other first responders and offering prayers to the victims.
Abbott said the state Department of Public Safety is assisting in the investigation and Chacon said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were also assisting.
Austin Police Arrest 1 Of 2 Suspects In Mass Shooting That Wounded 14
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for another after a mass shooting on a crowded downtown Austin street left 14 people wounded early Saturday, two of them critically.
The Austin Police Department said in a news release that the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted in making the arrest, but it provided no other details other than to say it is continuing to follow up on leads for the suspect still at large.
Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said the shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on a street packed with bars and barricaded off from vehicle traffic. He said investigators believe it began as a dispute between two parties. Chacon said both suspects are male, but declined to disclose details such as whether both fired shots, saying the investigation was ongoing.
“Most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement is in this case,” Chacon said.
The mass shooting — one of at least three in the U.S. overnight — sparked panic along 6th Street, a popular nightlife destination in the city that’s home to the University of Texas.
One witness, Matt Perlstein, told KXAN-TV that he was waiting with a friend to enter a bar when gunfire erupted.
“Everything was totally fine,” Perlstein said, then gunfire erupted. “We just heard like … a bunch of gunshots going off. Everyone got on the ground. We couldn’t even comprehend what was going on at the time.”
Chacon said his officers responded quickly to the area.
“They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals,” he said.
Because of the chaos on the barricaded street, police drove six of the wounded to hospitals in their squad cars. Ambulances transported four people and the other four made their own way to hospitals, he said.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement thanking police and other first responders and offering prayers to the victims.
Abbott said the state Department of Public Safety is assisting in the investigation and Chacon said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were also assisting.
Police arrest one suspect, hunting for another after Austin shooting leaves 14 injured
Police in Austin, Texas, say they have arrested one man and are searching for another in connection with a shooting early on Saturday that injured 14 people in the city’s downtown entertainment district.
The Austin police department said in a news release that the US Marshals Lone Star fugitive task force assisted in making the arrest, but it provided no other details other than to say it is continuing to follow up on leads for the suspect still at large.
Interim police chief Joseph Chacon said the shooting happened around 1.30am on a street packed with bars and barricaded off from vehicle traffic. He said investigators believe it began as a dispute between two parties.
Chacon said both suspects were male, but declined to disclose details such as whether both fired shots, saying the investigation was ongoing.
“Most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement is in this case,” Chacon said.
The mass shooting – one of at least three in the US overnight – sparked panic along 6th Street, a popular nightlife destination in the city that’s home to the University of Texas.
One witness, Matt Perlstein, told KXAN-TV that he was waiting with a friend to enter a bar when gunfire erupted.
“Everything was totally fine,” Perlstein said, then gunfire erupted. “We just heard like … a bunch of gunshots going off. Everyone got on the ground. We couldn’t even comprehend what was going on at the time.”
Eleven victims were in stable condition, and two victims were in critical condition. No fatalities have been reported.
Chacon said at a briefing that there were initial reports of three shooting victims in the area around 6th street. That was soon upgraded when emergency services reached the scene.
“Our officers responded very quickly,” Chacon said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals.”
Chacon also said some officers transported patients to hospitals in their police cruisers due to the nature of the scene, where it was hard to contain the crowd and get ambulances to those who were injured.
“Our aggravated assault and homicide unit detectives are out investigating, as well as members of our organized crime and gang units to see if this incident was gang-related. It’s not clear what sparked this off, but out of an abundance of caution we have notified the the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler, made a series of comments on Twitter.
“The uptick in gun violence locally is part of a disturbing rise in gun violence across the country as we exit the pandemic,” he said.
“APD and the City Council have initiated multiple violence prevention efforts in response – but this crisis requires a broader, coordinated response from all levels of government.
“One thing is clear – greater access to firearms does not equal greater public safety.”
The Austin attack was one of three mass shootings across the country overnight. In Chicago, a woman was killed and nine other people were wounded when two men opened fire on a group standing on a sidewalk in the Chatham neighborhood on the city’s South Side. The shooters got away and hadn’t been identified by mid-afternoon Saturday.
In the south Georgia city of Savannah, police said one man was killed and seven other people were wounded in a mass shooting Friday evening, police said. Two of the wounded are children – an 18-month-old and a 13-year-old.
Savannah’s police chief, Roy Minter Jr, said the shooting may be linked to an ongoing dispute between two groups, citing reports of gunshots being fired at the same apartment complex earlier in the week.
“It’s very disturbing what we’re seeing across the country and the level of gun violence that we’re seeing across the country,” he told reporters Saturday. “It’s disturbing and it’s senseless.”
The attacks come amid an easing of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in much of the country, including Chicago, which lifted many of its remaining safeguards on Friday.
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