Two people were shot dead and one badly injured in a shopping center in Austin, Texas.
According to officials, one of the two fatalities was the gunman. There was no apparent reason for the shooting that took place near The Arboretum shopping center.
Police said that a shooting occurred in a shopping mall in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, leaving one person dead and another gravely injured.
According to Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson, the gunman has also been found dead.
Following the event, which occurred at approximately 5 p.m., Henderson informed reporters, “At this time, the relationship between the suspect and the victims are unknown.”
According to authorities, the incident took place next to The Arboretum, an outdoor retail mall.
Henderson stated that around 5 p.m., the initial 911 call reporting a shooting was received. While responding, officers learned that many rounds had been fired.
Initially police believed there may be an active shooter, and called out its “counter assault strike team,” and searched the areas for explosive devices because witnesses reported hearing explosions, Henderson said. None were found
The person who was shot and wounded was transported to a hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, Austin-Travis County EMS and police said.
Two others suffered minor injuries or complaints after the initial incident, the EMS agency said.
Two adults were declared dead at the scene, one of which was the shooter, Henderson said.
The suspect died, although the police did not explain how. According to authorities, there is no public threat and no other people are thought to have been engaged.
An Austin, Texas, NBC station KXAN said that a mom there with her son described the gunshot as terrifying.
The woman, who went by Crystal, told the channel, “It’s terrifying because my dad lives here, I live here, and my son goes to school here.” “It’s just scary to know that we were just a couple of businesses away from where this happened.”
Many details about the shooting are preliminary, and the investigation is still ongoing, according to police on Thursday night. The victims and gunman are still unidentified.
“I would like to offer condolences to the families of the victims here today, in addition to the several witnesses that witnessed this tragedy here today,”
stated.
The owner of The Arboretum, wpg, issued a statement saying that they “are deeply saddened by this senseless act” and that they are completely collaborating with the police.
