A shooting in a busy entertainment district in downtown Austin, Texas, injured 13 people early Saturday, and police said the suspected shooter was not in custody.
Two of the injured people were in critical condition but as of the news conference at 4 a.m. local time, no one had died, interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said.
Police on the scene of a shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, that injured 13 people in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)
Gunfire erupted just before 1:30 a.m. along 6th Street, a popular area filled with bars and restaurants. The street was barricaded to keep out vehicle traffic at the time of the shooting, Chacon said.
It was unclear what sparked the shooting.
Eleven of the injured people were taken to one local hospital, another person was taken to a different hospital, and the other person went to an urgent care facility with gunshot wounds, Chacon said.
“Our officers responded very quickly,” the interim chief said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals.”
Chacon also said some officers transported patients to hospitals in their police cruisers due to the nature of the scene, where it was hard to contain the crowd and get ambulances to those who were injured.
The shooter was not immediately arrested. The department described one suspect as a thin man with dreadlocks who was wearing a black shirt. In fact, it’s not clear if there was one shooter or if multiple shooters were involved.
Investigators were reviewing surveillance video and other evidence from the area, Chacon said. He asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact police.
Police and a barricade are visible on 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas, following a shooting that injured 13 in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)
.@TxDPS is working with @Austin_Police to respond to the downtown shooting & ensure the perpetrators are captured & punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Thank you to APD & first responders for saving lives.
Join Cecilia & I in prayer for those who were injured. pic.twitter.com/tNvtsCRcwg
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 12, 2021
Official statement from the office of Councilwoman Kelly regarding the shooting on 6th street this morning:#atxcouncil #atx pic.twitter.com/mmK4cMeP3V
— Council Member Mackenzie Kelly (@MK6ATX) June 12, 2021
