Texas Target shooter 'executed girl, 4, in car seat after murdering grandpa'
A four-year-old girl was shot dead in the back of a car along with her grandad in a gun rampage which left three dead and a naked man arrested clutching a bible.
Ethan Nieneker, 32, is charged with three counts of murder over Monday's shootings at a Target store in Austin, Texas, on Monday. Court records show a series of past arrests for domestic violence and assault. After shooting Target employee, Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, who was collecting shopping trollies, Nieneker opened fire on grandad Adam Chow, 65, as he sat in the driver's seat of his car.
Then he fatally shot little Astrid Chow, in the back seat before stealing the vehicle and driving away fast, police said. It comes after a boy, 5, was murdered by kidnappers because his mum couldn't pay £39 ransom.
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'What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence,' Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference. 'Innocent lives were taken in broad daylight, in a place where people should feel safe to run their everyday errands and to live their everyday lives.'
The police chief said that although Nieneker had a history of mental health issues, she was unaware of any specific diagnosis. Sgt Nathan Sexton said the firearm Nieneker used in the attacks was acquired through family. 'It was a completely random choosing of the victims,' Sgt Sexton said.
Police said Mr Machuca, 24, was taken to a hospital where he died. Mr Chow and his granddaughter were pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Chow's wife sustained minor injuries.
Over the next hour, Nieneker tried to steal a water truck at a construction site, caused multiple vehicle crashes, wrecked Mr Chow's vehicle and then stole a Volkswagen he'd crashed into, police said. He also tried to break into a Waymo self-driving vehicle, threw a brick through the home of an acquaintance and walked naked through a backyard.
Officers found Nieneker walking naked on a street after he ditched his clothes in a portable toilet, police said. He was holding a bible and was subdued with a Taser when he would not comply with demands. 'He said that he was Jesus,' Sgt Sexton said.
Police received multiple 911 calls as the suspect made his way across the city. Chris Ferran said he was driving on a highway when he saw an SUV fly past him, then smash into two vehicles and keep going. 'I'm not letting anybody get away with this, so I chased him down and called 911,' he said.
Mr Ferran watched as the driver pulled into a construction site, got out of the SUV and ripped a worker out of a water truck. Mr Ferran said the SUV's driver, who was clad in what looked like swimming trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, was in the truck for a while so he started shooting a video.
But when the man got out of the water truck, Ferran realized he had a gun. 'As soon as I saw that, I threw the phone down and I reversed and I was trying to get us out of there,' said Mr Ferran, who had his two daughters with him.
Online court records show Nieneker was arrested several times in recent years in both Travis County, which includes Austin, and neighbouring Williamson County. His Travis County arrests include misdemeanours for criminal mischief and driving while intoxicated, and three arrests on domestic violence charges. He was convicted of a charge of assault causing bodily injury family violence in 2016 and briefly sentenced to jail.
Williamson County records show repeated run-ins with law enforcement, including two cases of misdemeanour family violence in 2015 that were later dismissed. He was also convicted of possession of marijuana in 2012 and entered a no contest plea to a charge of criminal mischief in 2016.
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