Police said the suspects carried out up to 12 attacks, injuring as many as four people.
AUSTIN, Texas — Three suspects have been taken into custody following multiple shootings across Austin on Saturday and Sunday.
The suspects carried out up to 12 random shootings between Saturday afternoon and Sunday, injuring four people, according Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis. One victim sustained serious injuries and is in critical condition, and the other three have minor injuries.
According to Davis, two of the suspects have been identified as a 17-year-old male and a 15-year-old male. The 17-year-old suspect had a previous warrant for theft of a gun and the 15-year-old is believed to have stolen a gun from the same location on Saturday. The duo is also accused of stealing four vehicles over the course of the spree.
According to police, there is no clear motive to the shootings, and they appear to be random. At least two of the shootings occurred at Austin fire stations, a number happened at apartment complexes and some happened at homes and stores. Most of the shootings occurred in South Austin and East Austin, and Davis said that pole camera captured footage of two people being shot in front of a store.
The first two suspects were arrested during the day Sunday in Manor. A third suspect remained on the run throughout most of the day but was eventually detained by Manor police at around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Manor Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order Sunday afternoon for Ralph Ritchie/Suncrest Road, North FM 973 Road near Suncrest Road/Tower Road, the Presidential Meadows subdivision, Greenbury subdivision, Stonewater subdivision. Manor police say they launched an exhaustive search involving nearly 200 officers including a canine unit, SWAT, helicopter and drone support. The shelter-in-place order was lifted just before 8 p.m.
A shelter-in-place that had been issued Sunday for a large area of South Austin has also since been lifted.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at a press conference Sunday afternoon that he had been in contact with Gov. Abbott, as well as Manor Mayor Christopher Harvey in the wake of the incidents.
The Austin Fire Department said it was aware of the incidents in which fire stations and one truck were struck by gunfire – one late Saturday night and another on Sunday morning. No firefighters were injured in the shootings, and only minor damage was reported. A
The shootings have not affected the response model from the Austin Fire Department, which remains fully staffed, operational and responding to calls across the city, the union said.
“Austin firefighters are continuing to answer every call for help, just as we always do,” said David Girouard, president of the Austin Firefighters Association. “Our members are continuing to respond city-wide to other reported shootings and to care for victims. While out station doors are locked, our crews remain in full force responding to every call to serve our city and respond to our community without hesitation.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact APD at 512-974-5177 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477, or by visiting austincrimestoppers.org.