A series of at least 10 random shootings across Austin, Texas, over the weekend left four people wounded, authorities said Sunday, prompting a shelter‑in‑place order for a large area of South Austin that was later lifted. Two teenagers — ages 15 and 17 — were taken into custody early Sunday after a vehicle pursuit, while a third occupant of the stolen car they were driving fled and remained at large, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. It was not immediately known whether the third person had any involvement in the shootings.
Driving around the city in stolen vehicles, the suspects fired at two fire stations, apartment buildings and houses during a string of robberies and shootings from Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning, Davis said. One of the four victims was hospitalized in critical condition; the conditions of the other three were not immediately disclosed.
The firearm used in the shootings had earlier been stolen by the 15‑year‑old suspect, Davis said, and the 17‑year‑old was wanted for a separate firearm theft. The suspects were apprehended after officers pulled over the stolen car; they attempted to flee on foot but were quickly taken into custody. The third person who had been in the car also ran and had not been located as of Sunday evening.
“We don’t have any specific motive that has been identified. In fact, these actions appear to be random,” Mayor Kirk Watson said during a news conference. The shelter‑in‑place order, which covered a broad swath of South Austin, was issued Sunday while the search for the suspects was ongoing and was lifted once the two arrests were made.
Authorities did not say whether the shootings were connected to any larger pattern of violence, but Davis noted that the suspects stole at least four vehicles as they traversed the city. The investigation remained active late Sunday, and officers were still attempting to determine the exact number of shooting scenes, which were scattered across residential neighborhoods.
The police department is asking anyone with information or surveillance footage to contact its tip line. No further details about the suspects, including their identities or charges, were released Sunday.