A 32-year-old suspect opened fire in the parking lot of a Target supermarket in Austin, Texas, on the afternoon of 11/8, killing two people at the scene and another at the hospital, according to US authorities. One other person was injured.
After the shooting, the suspect carjacked a vehicle to escape and crashed it, then proceeded to steal another car. Austin police arrived at the scene within 4 minutes and tracked the suspect, eventually subduing him with a taser in South Austin.
 |
Police cordon off the scene of the shooting in Austin, Texas, on 11/8. Photo: AP |
Police cordon off the scene of the shooting in Austin, Texas, on 11/8. Photo: AP
Austin authorities are investigating the incident. The suspect's identity and motive have not been released. Austin police stated the suspect had a criminal record and history of mental illness, but did not elaborate.
"I heard loud and clear gunshots. At first, I thought it was an elaborate prank," Marco Torres, a supermarket employee, recounted. When he ran outside to investigate, he and others realized the gravity of the situation. "Everyone in the supermarket started running for their lives toward the back exit."
"This is a disgusting and cowardly act of violence," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson wrote on social media.
As of 5/8, the US has recorded 261 mass shootings, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit organization that tracks gun-related violence. The organization defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least 4 people are shot, not including the shooter.
Duc Trung (USA Today, AP)
