'He said that he was Jesus': Police release details on deadly Texas Target shooting
The man suspected of fatally shooting three people, including a child, in a Target parking lot in Austin, Texas, told police that he was Jesus and obtained a firearm through a family member despite a history of mental health issues, authorities said.
Police identified the shooter as Ethan Nieneker, 32, and said that he began his attack by fatally shooting Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca as he collected shopping carts on Aug. 11. Nieneker then ran up to a gray Toyota 4-Runner, and fatally shot Adam Chow and his 4-year-old granddaughter before pushing Chow's wife from the vehicle, police said in a news release. Chow's wife survived with minor injuries.
"What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said on Aug. 12. "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."
USA TODAY is working to reach an attorney or family member who can speak on Nieneker's behalf.
Chaotic timeline following deadly Target shooting
Following the killings at 2:15 p.m. CT, police say that Nieneker stole Chow's car and made a chaotic getaway, assaulting multiple people and stealing cars along the way. Here's a timeline released by authorities:
Charges, motive, and what we know about Ethan Nieneker
Davis said Nieneker worked at a local restaurant and lived alone. He's been charged with two counts of capital murder and first-degree felony murder. Police said he will face more charges related to the subsequent assaults and carjackings.
As for a motive, police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said there was "really no reason whatsoever given."
"He said that he was Jesus," Sexton said. "It was a completely random choosing of the victims."
Sexton said the handgun used in the attack was "acquired through family" and that the department was investigating possible charges against the family member.
Davis said Nieneker's history with Austin police included assault causing bodily injury to a family member, driving under the influence, violation of a protective order, marijuana possession, and two mental health reports.
"This man had some serious issues, and I think about the systems that failed in a way, as we move forward," she said. "We're looking at this background, and again, this is going to be things that are going to be coming up in the months and the years ahead. There were some serious failures here."
'Pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come'
Davis declined to detail who failed Nieneker or exactly how, and said she did not know if he had been officially diagnosed.
"What help are they getting when you're dealing with someone with these issues?" Davis asked. "Where does someone with this capacity to do this get a weapon? And when does a family member feel comfortable giving someone with these issues a weapon?"
She called the case "a heartbreaking and deeply painful time for our city."
"The actions of the suspect showed a complete disregard for human life," she added. "The pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come."
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at amanda.myers@usatoday.com and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT
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