Austin shooting investigation: 3 in custody after at least 12 incidents across the city, police say

At least 12 shootings in Austin starting Saturday left four people injured, one seriously, officials said. Two teenage suspects are in custody and a third suspect has been arrested, police announced Sunday.

Austin police said the incident began at 3:45 p.m. Saturday with the theft of a vehicle from an apartment complex, followed by the theft of a firearm from a store.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at the time that officials did not know the two incidents were related; however, approximately 20 additional calls for service related to the suspects followed, primarily in South and East Austin.

Austin shootings attributed to carjacking, gun theft, police say

The incidents stopped Saturday evening before resuming Sunday at 8:47 a.m. “when a man walking his dog was struck in the back by gunfire,” Davis said.

Davis said most of the shootings took place in South Austin.

Mayor Kirk Watson said that included two different fire stations, including one when a fire truck was hit by gunfire with firefighters standing right behind it.

Davis said the suspects also shot at apartment buildings. The officers, in turn, went door to door to make sure everyone in the buildings was safe.

The chief said Sunday afternoon that investigators were looking for several suspect vehicles, including a black or dark blue Hyundai, a gold Hyundai sedan, a silver Mazda four-door and a white Kia Optima. Davis said at least four vehicles were stolen.

“We had two individuals who were going to steal cars and then started shooting people,” Davis said Sunday night. “We had a pole camera that captured one of the shootings in front of a store where two people were shot. A woman sitting there, standing, talking to someone, and they drive by, and they shoot out the window, hitting her.”

Watson said no motive had been identified and the shooting appeared to have been random.

“I don’t know what motive would drive someone to go around this city, in several neighborhoods of this city, shooting senselessly,” he said.

2 teenage suspects arrested after traffic stop

In their search for suspects, officials from the Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a white Kia based on information from Austin Police. Three suspects got out of the car and ran before officers apprehended two, officials said.

Austin police did not identify the two suspects initially in custody.

Davis said investigators don’t know when the third person was involved, but Manor police said Sunday evening that the third suspect had been arrested.

The chief said the suspects in custody are boys ages 15 and 17. Police said the 17-year-old was the subject of an arrest warrant for theft of a firearm at the same store where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a gun on Saturday.

The city issued a shelter-in-place order Sunday while the search was underway for the suspects. The order was later lifted after the first two suspects were arrested.

The investigation is active and ongoing, Davis said.