Man claiming to be Jesus kills 3 outside Austin Target in random shooting, police say
A 32-year-old man was arrested on August 11 after allegedly shooting and killing two adults and a child in a north Austin Target parking lot in what police described as a random and unprovoked attack. Ethan Nieneker has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree murder.
About the shooting: The attack began around 2:15 p.m. at 8601 Research Blvd. Nieneker allegedly shot a Target employee at random before firing at multiple vehicles and stealing Adam Chow's Toyota 4Runner. During his escape, he crashed the SUV into two cars, assaulted a female driver, stole her Volkswagen and attempted to break into a Waymo autonomous vehicle. He was later seen naked and carrying a Bible before being arrested around 3:06 p.m. on Montclaire Street after officers used a stun gun. Police confirmed the firearm used was obtained through a family member.
Victim identities: The victims were identified as 24-year-old Rosa Martinez Machuca, a Target employee shot while collecting shopping carts; 66-year-old Adam Chow; and his 4-year-old granddaughter, Astrid Fung. Chow's wife sustained minor injuries while trying to protect the child. Nieneker allegedly pushed her away before fleeing in their vehicle. Austin Police said the three fatalities mark the city's 39th, 40th and 41st homicides this year.
Charges and history: Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect told officers he believed he was Jesus and confirmed the victims were randomly selected. 'This man has some serious issues,' Davis said. 'There were some serious failures here, on behalf of many, when you're looking at potentially some mental illness.' Police said they had responded to prior mental health-related incidents involving Nieneker. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.
Trending on NextShark:
!
Download the NextShark App:
Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Immigration agent fires shots at vehicle with people inside in San Bernardino operation
San Bernardino police responded to what they described as "an officer-involved shooting" involving federal immigration officers Saturday morning. When police officers responded to the area of Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street shortly before 9 a.m., they encountered immigration agents who said they had fired at a suspect who then fled the scene. Soon after, according to the San Bernardino Police Department, a man — who has not been identified — contacted the dispatch center, saying that masked men had tried to pull him over, broke his car window and shot at him. He said he didn't know who they were and asked for police assistance. In a statement Saturday night, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said agents had been conducting a targeted enforcement operation in San Bernardino and said that "[Customs and Border Protection] officers were injured during a vehicle stop when a subject refused to exit his vehicle and tried to run them down." "In the course of the incident the suspect drove his car at the officers and struck two CBP officers with his vehicle," the statement read. Because of that, the official said, a CBP officer discharged his firearm "in self-defense." According to a press release from the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, federal agents broke the driver and passenger windows of the vehicle and fired three times. Video the group uploaded on Facebook appeared to capture the interaction, showing agents wearing "police" vests and shouting at those inside to roll down the window. "No la voy a abrir," the man said from inside, saying he wasn't going to open it. Soon after, the video captured the sound of shattering glass and what sounded like three shots being fired. The video showed a man wearing a hat with CBP on it. The video appears to show the vehicle move a short distance after the windows are smashed, but does not capture the driver striking the officers. "This was a clear abuse of power," the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said in its release. "Firing at civilians, harassing families without cause, and targeting community voices must stop." According to the San Bernardino Police Department, officers later located the vehicle in the 1000 block of Mt. View Drive and made contact with the man, but they said it was unclear what federal agents wanted him for. "Under the California Values Act, California law enforcement agencies are prohibited from assisting federal officials with immigration enforcement, so our officers left the scene as the investigation was being conducted by federal authorities," police said in a news release. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson misidentified the police department, describing it as the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and said local authorities had the man in custody but then set him free. "This decision was made despite the subject refusing to comply and wounding two officers — another terrible example of California's pro-sanctuary policies in action that shield criminals instead of protecting communities," the unidentified spokesperson said. At 1:12 p.m., federal officials requested assistance from the department because a large crowd was forming as they attempted to arrest the suspect, the police said. At that time, federal agents told police he was wanted for allegedly assaulting a federal officer. Police responded and provided support with crowd control, according to the department. The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said in a news release that the agents didn't present a warrant and remained outside the home until 3:45 p.m., "pressuring the individual to come outside." The group added that two community members "were detained using unnecessary force, including one for speaking out." "Federal agents requested assistance during a lawful arrest for assaulting a federal officer when a crowd created a potential officer safety concern," the police department said in a statement. "This was not an immigration-related arrest, which would be prohibited under California law." Federal investigators are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, according to the police. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani is caught in a financial controversy — again
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In the last year, Shohei Ohtani has become as famous for the financial scandals surrounding him as he has for his ability to slug baseballs. Now the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is embroiled in yet another financial scandal, this time involving allegations made about a real estate deal in Hawaii. In addition, Ohtani continues to deal with blowback from a gambling fraud incident that landed his interpreter a nearly five-year prison sentence. 'Threats and baseless legal claims' The latest scandal involves two Hawaiian real estate developers who are suing Ohtani and his agent. The lawsuit claims that Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, got the developers "fired from a $240 million luxury housing development [the Vista at Mauna Kea] on the Big Island's coveted Hapuna Coast that they brought [Ohtani] in to endorse" and build a home in, said The Associated Press. Balelo "increasingly demanded concessions" from the developers before allegedly "demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal," said the AP. Ohtani and Balelo "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle" the developers' "role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest," the lawsuit claims. The pair allegedly "used threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations and strip Plaintiffs of the very project they conceived and built." The lawsuit is "completely frivolous and without merit," Kingsbarn told the AP in a statement. The company added that it "takes full responsibility" for removing the developers. Ohtani himself said he was "focused on what the team is doing" when asked about the lawsuit. Another scandal for Ohtani This is the second major financial scandal for Ohtani, who is widely considered one of the best baseball players in the world. His ex-interpreter was "sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani," said ESPN, in a controversy that had some initially questioning Ohtani despite his denial of any knowledge. This also comes in the aftermath of Balelo being "behind Ohtani's free agent deal with the Dodgers, which is one of the most lucrative — and management-friendly — contracts in MLB history," said NBC News. At the time, the deal was "reported to be the biggest contract in baseball history, at $700 million for 10 seasons." He is also set to earn "$100 million in endorsements in 2025 alone, tops among MLB players," said The Athletic. But despite the controversy around his finances, the lawyers currently suing him have "left the door open for Ohtani to have once again been a victim of someone in his inner circle bringing him legal trouble," said SFGate. It is "uncertain at this time whether his agent's alleged contractual interference and misdeeds were even known to Mr. Ohtani at the time, or whether he may have himself been misled by Mr. Balelo — but we aim to find out," attorneys for the developers said to the outlet. The status of the deal is unclear, but Ohtani's interest in Hawaii has been longstanding; The Wall Street Journal first reported in 2024 that he was looking to build a home in the state, which is a "beautiful blend of Pacific Ocean cultures" and a "special place — a place I will soon call home," Ohtani said in a press release. The Vista at Mauna Kea's website still lists Ohtani as "our first resident."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
South Londoners jailed in August so far including paedo and road rage killer
A road rage killer, a second chance paedophile and a domestic abuser are all south Londoners who have been locked up so far this month. Here are the names and faces of the men who are have been sentenced to prison time in August 2025 so far. Orpington road rage killer Neil Sullingston (Image: Surrey Police) Neil Sullingston, 53, from Orpington, deliberately drove into moped rider Wayne Wigley, killing him. Sullingston was driving to work in his white Seat Ibiza along the A244 in Esher, Surrey, when he noticed Mr Wigley riding a moped behind him. The two men had previously been involved in road rage incidents which Sullingston had reported to police. At around 6.19am on July 1 last year dashcam and CCTV footage showed Mr Wigley throwing a rock at Sullingston's car, smashing the rear window. Mr Wigley then entered the right filter lane near the junction with Milbourne Lane. Sullingston followed in close pursuit before deliberately driving into the back of the scooter without braking or swerving. The impact threw Mr Wigley from the moped, severing his right lower leg and causing catastrophic internal injuries. Members of the public, including an off-duty police officer, a paramedic and a firefighter tried to help but Mr Wigley was pronounced dead at the scene. Sullingston was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Read the full story here - Orpington man jailed after Esher road rage death Second chance Bromley paedo Shaun Taylor-Thompson (Image: Met Police) Shaun Taylor-Thompson, 33, of Beckenham Grove in Shortlands, was caught with images and videos of babies being abused just months after a judge gave him a second chance. The ex-care home worker was given suspended sentence last February after a raid on his home revealed thousands of indecent images and videos of children including disturbing videos of children as young as 18 months old being abused. It has now been revealed that within weeks Taylor-Thompson was offending again and was caught with over a thousand more child abuse images and videos. On June 1 last year Met Police officers conducted a routine visit to his home. They discovered he had been using private browsing sites and had concerning photos on his iPhone. Further analysis of his device revealed he had deleted his internet history 1046 times since March and had used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to disguise his identity online. They also found 1,017 child abuse images and videos, including videos of babies younger than three months old being abused. A further raid of his home revealed various other devices which the Met are still analysing. Taylor-Thompson was sentenced to three years in prison. Read the full story - Bromley second chance paedophile caught with abuse images Croydon man repeatedly assaulted his partner Daniel Santana (Image: Surrey Police) Daniel Santana, 40, from Croydon, repeatedly assaulted his partner and damaged her family's belongings. Between October 2021 and March 2022, Santana subjected the woman to sustained abuse, including physical assaults and harassment. He once called her up to 60 times in a row. The victim reported the abuse in January 2025, and Santana was promptly arrested. He has now been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour. He has also been recalled to prison to serve the remaining nine years of a previous sentence for rape, grievous bodily harm (GBH), actual bodily harm (ABH), arson and harassment.
