Everything we know about the North Austin shooting outside Target

Three people are dead, including one child, after a shooting in a Target parking lot in North Austin on Monday, August 11. The Austin Police Department has since arrested a 32-year-old suspect linked to the case, with police detailing the rapid response from area public safety personnel in the aftermath of the fatal shooting.

Here’s everything we know about the timeline of events and the suspect identified by police.

The Austin Police received a 9-1-1 call at 2:15 p.m. on Monday that’s classified as a hotshot call, a term primarily reserved for high-priority situations that might involve a shooting, stabbing or other traumatic incident where urgency is critical. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said officers arrived on scene four minutes later at 2:19 p.m., where they found three people who had been shot.

According to preliminary investigation details, Davis said the suspect — later identified as Ethan Nieneker, 32 — stole a Toyota 4-Runner at the Target parking lot and fled the scene before later crashing it. Davis said Nieneker then hijacked a vehicle from an area car dealership and drove it to South Austin, where he was apprehended and detained after police used a stun gun on him.

Shortly after police fielded a 9-1-1 call, Austin-Travis County EMS received an initial service call at 2:19 p.m. requesting medical service at the Target located at 8601 Research Boulevard. The first unit of medics arrived on scene at 2:23 p.m., where they began CPR and other life-saving measures. Two patients — one adult and a child — were declared dead in the parking lot, while crews transported a second adult to a nearby hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries. That second adult died at the hospital.

On Tuesday, August 12, an ATCEMS spokesperson confirmed crews treated and transported a fourth person for “minor medical complaints, not caused by traumatic injuries.”

Police said Nieneker attempted to steal a water truck in the 7800 block of Mopac Expressway. Opening the car’s door and assaulting the driver, police said Nieneker wasn’t able to put the truck into drive, instead returning to the Toyota 4-Runner after brandishing his pistol at a man.

Mere minutes later, police said Nieneker caused a multi-vehicle crash in the stolen Toyota, crashing into a Volkswagen before the Toyota landed on top of an Infiniti SUV. Getting out of the Toyota, Nieneker approached the Volkswagen and assaulted the driver, before pushing her out of the car and fleeing the scene. 

About 10 minutes after stealing the Volkswagen, Nieneker reportedly tried to break into a Waymo vehicle nearby. Ultimately unable to, he drove off in the stolen Volkswagen.

A few minutes later, Nieneker ended up in the 2100 block of La Casa Drive in South Austin, outside the home of a Bible study acquaintance. Police said Nieneker threw a brick through a window, and the acquaintance — who recognized Nieneker from their time in Bible study together — placed a call to police. 

At 2:58 p.m. on Monday, police received a call stating a naked man was walking around the backyard of a residence in the 2400 block of La Casa Drive, with the caller saying the man ran into a porta-potty before leaving the area. Police found Nieneker naked on Montclaire Street and, when the suspect didn’t respond to police commands, used a stun gun on him and took him into custody.

In a briefing around 4 p.m,. Monday, Davis confirmed three people were killed and one was injured in the shooting, with Nieneker apprehended within a half-hour prior to the press briefing. Davis said a police chase wasn’t involved in his detainment, adding they received a call for service from South Austin and where they later found him.

Just before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Austin Police verified Nieneker as the suspect in Monday’s triple homicide. Travis County Jail records reveal Nieneker was booked into jail just before 9 p.m. Monday night and faces three charges: capital murder by terror threat or other felony; capital murder of a person under 10 years old; and first-degree murder.

Shortly before a second press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed the names of the three people killed in Monday’s shooting:

• Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24, a Target employee
• Adam Chow, 65
• Chow’s granddaughter, 4 (name not released since she’s an underage victim)

Police relayed additional investigation details in a briefing at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, confirming Nieneker had been found naked and holding a Bible while claiming “he was Jesus.” The shooting was random, investigators said, and it’s unclear at this time if he was under the influence of narcotics. Also unknown is whether or not he held a gun license, but police confirmed the weapon used during the shooting had been supplied by a family member.

“Where does someone with this capacity to do this get a weapon?” Davis said, condemning family members who provided Nieneker with the gun given his extensive mental health history. In Tuesday’s update, police said it’s not yet determined whether the family members who gave Nieneker the gun would be charged, adding officers are still digging into his criminal history.

However, based on both his priors and noted mental health concerns, she said there were “serious failures here” in the lead up to the triple homicide.

“This man has serious issues,” Davis said.