Image courtsey – Kelly Martin., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gunfire at Austin Target Leaves Three Dead; Suspect in Custody
North Austin was on edge Monday afternoon after gunfire broke out in the parking lot of a Target store, leaving three people dead and a community shaken.
It was just after lunch when shoppers heard the first shots. Some froze, unsure of what they’d heard; others dropped what they were carrying and ran. One man, still clutching his receipt, said he ducked between parked cars before sprinting toward the store’s entrance.
Police later confirmed that two victims died at the scene. A third was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive. Another person was hurt in the chaos, though not from gunfire.
Investigators say the suspect bolted from the lot in a car that may have belonged to one of the victims. That vehicle didn’t get far — it crashed a short distance away. From there, police believe the man forced his way into another car at a nearby dealership before trying to slip away.
The chase ended in South Austin, where officers surrounded the suspect and used a stun device to bring him down. Witnesses in the area described a sudden swarm of patrol cars and the sharp commands of officers as they moved in.
Officials identified the suspect only as a man in his early thirties, noting past struggles with mental health. A motive is still unclear.
By early evening, the once-bustling parking lot was silent except for the hum of police generators. Yellow tape fluttered in the breeze as detectives took photographs and marked shell casings on the asphalt.
City leaders called the shooting a senseless act that cut short innocent lives. Police are reviewing surveillance footage and urging anyone who saw what happened — or recorded it — to come forward.
