Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a series of random shootings, stolen vehicles and violent crimes across Austin, Texas, that left four people injured between late Saturday and Sunday, officials said.
Authorities have identified the oldest of the three suspects as Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, 17. The other two suspects, aged 16 and 15, have not been publicly identified as they remain juveniles under Texas law.
The three suspects have not been formally charged, but they are expected to face charges related to “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/motor vehicle, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, theft of a firearm, and other related offenses,” the Austin Police Department (APD) said in news release.
Additional charges may be filed as investigators continue reviewing ballistic evidence, surveillance footage, witness statements and recovered evidence, the APD added.
How the Shooting Spree Unfolded
The three teens are suspected of being involved in a total of 12 shootings starting late Saturday and into Sunday.
APD said the first occurred at a trailer residence on 10 Yucca Drive a few hours after officers received reports of a stolen firearm from a business located at 321 West Ben White Boulevard. The suspects were seen getting into a vehicle that had also been stolen, the police said.
More shootings took place at two apartment complexes, at an unoccupied residence, at a business and near vehicles. Just before 9 p.m. local time, a suspect fired shots from a vehicle into the Austin Fire Department’s (AFD) station garage doors, while firefighters were inside, though none was injured.
Around 8:45 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, a person was shot in the back and stomach at 7409 Janes Ranch Road and transported to a hospital. About two hours later, a suspect fired shots into another AFD station while the garage doors were open, striking an AFD vehicle and the building structure.
Two people were shot and injured during a drive-by shooting around 1:44 p.m. local time, while the fourth victim was wounded around 2:29 p.m. local time at 11700 Dionda Lane. The victim was transported to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries, where they continue to be treated, the police said.
Officers finally closed in on the suspects around 3:23 p.m. local time on Sunday, when they located the stolen white Kia Optima linked to several of the incidents reported over the weekend.
The three suspects had abandoned the vehicle in a field near FM 973 and fled on foot, APD reported. One suspect was apprehended near the vehicle. A second suspect was caught nearby after an extensive search. And the third suspect was detained later after Manor Police Department responded to a call about a suspicious person near FM 973, authorities said.
All three suspects are now in custody.
Previous Warrant
According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, Mondragon had a warrant out for his arrest in connection with a gun he allegedly stole from the same store where the gun used in the weekend’s shooting spree was stolen.
Michael Cargill, the owner of Central Texas Gun Works and a gun rights activist, told the outlet KXAN that the teens came into his store at least four times and stole a gun twice, adding that he was increasing security in the store as much as he could.
Under Texas law, deadly force cannot be used solely to protect property or stop a standard theft, except in highly specific circumstances involving nighttime crimes.
Cargill called for the law to be changed, telling KXAN that lawmakers should “release the hands of gun stores and allow us to use deadly force for theft of a firearm during the day time.”
What Happens Next
An investigation into the weekend’s shooting spree is ongoing, according to authorities, and evidence is still being gathered and reviewed before formal charges are brought against the three suspects. The motive behind the crime spree remains unclear.
“I don’t know what the motive is,” Davis said on Sunday, per Houston Public Media. “I don’t know what motive would drive anybody to come and drive around senselessly in this city— in multiple parts of this city—shooting.”
This is a developing story. More to follow.