AUSTIN, TX – A series of fatal shootings that spanned across two Texas counties on Tuesday has led to the arrest of a suspect, officials reported. The violent episodes claimed the lives of six individuals and injured three others, including two police officers.
The man in custody, whose identity and motive are yet to be disclosed, is facing capital murder charges, with additional charges likely to be imposed, according to Austin’s Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson, who addressed reporters on Tuesday night.
The violent chain of events commenced around 10:45 a.m. on Bachman Drive, where a police officer from the Austin Independent School district was shot and injured, Henderson disclosed.
Subsequently, around an hour later, emergency services received reports of a double homicide involving a man and a woman at Shady Wood Drive, as revealed by the acting chief.
The third incident occurred just before 5 p.m., when officers responding to a call on West Slaughter Lane found a male cyclist with gunshot wounds, although his injuries were not life-threatening, Henderson reported.
In the evening, at about 6:45 p.m., another shooting was reported. An Austin police officer, responding to a burglary call on Austral Loop, was fired upon by the suspect and was hit several times.
Despite being wounded, the officer managed to return fire and take cover. He was later reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital, Henderson confirmed.
The suspect, who remained unhurt during the gunfire exchange, fled the scene in a vehicle. Following a pursuit by other officers, he crashed the vehicle and was subsequently arrested.
On searching the reported burglary location, police discovered two more deceased victims.
It is believed that the suspect has connections to a residence in Bexar County, leading to Austin police alerting authorities there, as per Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Salazar reported that deputies found two middle-aged victims dead in the home, in what he described as a “grisly” double homicide. He suggested that these murders likely happened before the Austin shootings, but the relationship between the suspect and these victims is yet to be determined.