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Austin police have arrested a suspect and are looking for a mass shooting on a crowded downtown street that left 14 people injured
June 12, 2021, 10:29 pm
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AUSTIN, Texas – Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for another after 14 people were injured, two of whom were life-threatening, in a mass shooting on a crowded street in downtown Austin earlier Saturday.
Austin police said in a press release that the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force had assisted the U.S. marshals with the arrest, but they gave no details other than saying they are continuing to investigate leads for the suspect who is still at large.
Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said the shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. on a street crowded with bars and closed to vehicular traffic. He said investigators believe it started as a dispute between two parties. Chacon said both suspects were male but declined to reveal details such as whether both shots were fired as the investigation was ongoing.
“Most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement in this case is,” said Chacon.
The mass shootings – one of at least three overnight in the US – caused panic on 6th Street, a popular nightlife spot in the city that is home to the University of Texas.
A witness, Matt Perlstein, told KXAN-TV that he was waiting with a friend to enter a bar when gunfire broke out.
“Everything was perfectly fine,” said Perlstein, then gunfire broke out. “We just heard like… a bunch of gunfire. Everyone came to the floor. We couldn’t even understand what was going on then. “
Chacon said his officials reacted quickly to the area.
“For many of these patients, they were able to immediately begin life-saving procedures, including tourniquet application; Breast seal applications, ”he said.
Because of the chaos on the cordoned off road, the police drove six of the wounded to hospitals in their patrol cars. Ambulances carried four people and the other four made their way to hospitals, he said.
Governor Greg Abbott made a statement thanking the police and other first responders and offering prayers to the victims.
Abbott said the State Department of Public Safety was backing the investigation, and Chacon said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms would also help.
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