Three killed in shooting at Austin store in Texas
Austin police said in a social media post that the suspect had been detained.
The shooting happened just on Monday around 2 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), said the police.
Officials received a call about shots fired at the target location on Research Boulevard at 2:15 p.m.
When Austin police arrived, three people had sustained gunshot wounds, officials said during a press conference after the shooting.
The suspect, a 32-year-old male, stole a car from the parking lot of Target and fled the scene, according to police reports.
Tragically, the individual from whom the car was stolen is among those who were killed.
After leaving the Target area, the suspect crashed the stolen vehicle and then stole another car from a nearby dealership, police stated.
Austin Police located the suspect in the southern part of the city after he exited the car, and another person subsequently called the police. Further investigations are underway.
Earlier, a shooting on Emory University's Atlanta campus in the US state of Georgia left the shooter dead and one officer injured, according to media reports.
There was a single shooter who is now dead, with no further threat to the campus or surrounding area, said NBC News, quoting the Atlanta Police Department.
A law enforcement officer was injured while confronting the shooter, according to reports.
A shelter-in-place order was put into place and now has been lifted, said the latest post by the university.
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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Austin shooter Ethan Nieneker made victim watch grandfather's murder before brutally executing her
Ethan Blaine Nieneker opened fire outside a Target store in Austin on Monday, killing three people. The victims have been identified as Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24, a Target employee; Adam Chow, 65; and Chow's four-year-old granddaughter. Police alleged that the shooting suspect made the child watch her grandfather's murder before executing her. Ethan Nieneker was identified as the Austin Target shooter(X) Austin police alleged that Nieneker forced the girl to watch as he fatally shot her grandfather and wounded her grandmother. Officials further noted that the 32-year-old had a history of mental illness, without getting into specifics. Chaotic escape and naked arrest Police said Nieneker fled the store in a vehicle stolen from the parking lot — believed to belong to one of the victims, before crashing it nearby. He then allegedly stole another car from a Volkswagen dealership and drove 18 miles through the city, weaving into South Austin. Read More: Ethan Nieneker: Austin Target shooter was naked, carrying a Bible after firing shots; 'I am Jesus' The pursuit ended in an unusual and disturbing scene: Nieneker allegedly ditched his clothes in a portable toilet, emerged naked and holding a Bible, and was subdued by a Taser when he refused police commands. 'He said that he was Jesus,' Sgt. Nathan Sexton said. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said officers received calls about the shooting within minutes and arrived on the scene about four minutes later. In the parking lot, they found three people suffering from gunshot wounds. Two victims died on the scene; the third died en route to the hospital. Target later issued a statement expressing heartbreak and promising grief counseling for employees. 'We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas,' the statement read. 'Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin, and all those impacted by this tragedy.' Witnesses describe terror Shoppers and staff described moments of panic as gunfire erupted. 'I was inside the store, but then I hear on the radio like shots fired,' employee Freyen Sagastume told KXAN. 'They just told us 'active shooter'… we told guests to get out.' At a nearby Jiffy Lube, workers locked the doors and took cover. Paul Smith, a mechanic, recalled seeing frightened shoppers running from their cars. 'I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before,' he told Spectrum Local News. Ethan Nieneker's troubled past Public records show Nieneker has a history of arrests dating back to 2011, including assault on a family member, multiple charges of domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, criminal mischief, and violating protective orders. Some cases were dismissed. Police say he also has a documented history of mental illness.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
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Ethan Nieneker: Austin Target shooter was naked, carrying a Bible after firing shots; ‘I am Jesus'
Ethan Nieneker was identified as the man who fatally shot three people in a Target parking lot in Austin on Monday, police said. The victims included a 4-year-old child and her grandfather. Officials said that Nieneker had a history of mental illness and opened fire randomly. Now, the 32-year-old's alleged Facebook profile has surfaced. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stands by as a photo of and information about shooting suspect Ethan Nieneker, 35, are displayed(AP) Nieneker killed a Target worker gathering shopping carts, then killed a man and his granddaughter before stealing their car. Police Chief Lisa Davis said he had a history of mental health problems. No specifics were revealed. 'What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence," 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.' On Tuesday, social media users shared Nienekar's alleged Facebook profile. Hindustan Times cannot verify the authenticity of the profile shared on X. Mental illness, Bible and Jesus claims Police confirmed Nieneker was discovered walking naked after abandoning his clothes in a portable toilet. He was carrying a Bible and told officers he was Jesus. When he refused to comply with commands, officers subdued him with a Taser. The shooter remains in custody on multiple capital murder charges. Jail records show no attorney listed for him as of Tuesday. Authorities said his criminal history stretches back more than a decade, including arrests in both Travis County and neighboring Williamson County. In Travis County, he faced misdemeanors for criminal mischief and driving while intoxicated, along with three separate felony domestic violence charges. He was convicted in 2016 of assault causing bodily injury in a family violence case and briefly jailed. Another felony assault case in 2019 was dismissed three years later when prosecutors could not find the victim. Williamson County records list repeated brushes with the law, including two dismissed misdemeanor family violence cases in 2015, a 2012 marijuana possession conviction, and a no contest plea to criminal mischief in 2016. Monday's attack unfolded just after 2 PM local time, during peak back-to-school shopping. Police say Nieneker shot and killed three people at the Target on Research Boulevard before stealing a car from the parking lot. After crashing it about 1.5 miles away, he allegedly took another vehicle from a dealership and drove to South Austin. Officers found him roughly 20 miles from the store and arrested him after using a Taser.
News18
a day ago
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Target store shooter fired randomly, had history of mental illness: Police
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