A gunman opened fire outside a Target store in Austin, Texas, on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring a fourth. The suspect, a 32-year-old white man with a history of mental health issues, fled the scene in a stolen car before being captured and taken into custody, according to Austin police chief Lisa Davis.
The shooter stole two cars after the attack, with the driver of the first car reported to be one of the gunshot victims. After wrecking the first vehicle, he stole another before being apprehended in south Austin. Officers used a taser to subdue him, Davis said during a news conference.
Police were called at 2:15pm local time and arrived within four minutes, finding three people fatally shot in the Target parking lot. An Austin-Travis county emergency services spokesperson said first responders treated one person for unrelated injuries. The name of the shooter has not been released, and no motive has been identified.
Mayor Kirk Watson described the incident as a “sickening, cowardly act of gun violence” in a social media post. Target Corporate expressed devastation and said they are cooperating with law enforcement, offering grief counselling to employees. The shooting occurred during back-to-school shopping season.
