Three dead in North Austin Target shooting, suspect detained after car hijackings

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department is actively investigating a shooting at the North Austin Target store that left three people dead and a suspect in custody on Monday. An additional person was treated on scene for unrelated injuries.

During a media briefing, police said the call came in at 2:15 p.m. reporting a shooting, and officers arrived by 2:19 p.m. to find three people were shot inside the parking lot at the Target located at 8601 Research Boulevard.

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“I heard the shots fired and I was really confused at first because I thought that this only happened in the news and stuff, and then, I kind of just froze,” said Target employee, Freyen Sagastumen.

Austin-Travis County EMS arrived at 2:23 p.m. and confirmed two of those people were pronounced dead on scene, and a third victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.

“This is a very sad day for Austin. It’s a very sad day for us all, and my condolences go out to the families,” said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.

One additional individual was treated on scene for unrelated injuries.

“We saw the first body on the ground and then all the police started swarming in, and it was just chaos,” said witness Avarian Taylor. “It was just a lot of mental strain, having to see dead bodies and blood and guns– it’s a lot.”

The Austin Fire Department and Austin ISD Police also responded to the scene.

According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect fled the store and allegedly hijacked a vehicle in the parking lot. Officers believe one of the victims was the driver of that stolen vehicle.

The suspect then took that car and crashed it about 1.5 miles away in an office complex parking lot at MoPac and Anderson Lane, according to APD.

The suspect then reportedly hijacked another vehicle and headed to South Austin.

Shortly thereafter, APD officers responded to a call for service at the 2400 block of La Casa Drive, where they located the suspect, tased him, and took him into custody at around 3:34 p.m.

Police say the suspect is a 32-year-old White male who has a history of mental illness and a criminal record.

Investigators are still unsure of what led up to the shooting. “We don’t know if there was an altercation or what, at this point we’re looking at video [and evidence],” said Chief Davis.

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Target sent the following statement to CBS Austin:

We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas. 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. We are working with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation and are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly at the scene. In the days ahead, we will continue partnering with law enforcement and will be providing support resources, including grief counseling, to our team.

Police shut down the 8000 block of MoPac southbound frontage road between Executive Center Drive and Anderson Lane during the investigation.

Police let out Target customers and staff who weren’t witnesses to the incident, but did not allow parked cars to be taken until 10 p.m.

“Police were just everywhere, guns in hand, trying to find the active shooter and telling us we need to stay still– it was just a lot. I’m young. I didn’t know how to handle a situation like that,” said Taylor.

The investigation is ongoing.