One person was seriously injured during a shooting at the Central Library in Downtown Austin on Saturday.

AUSTIN, Texas — One person was seriously injured during a shooting at the Central Library in Downtown Austin at around noon on Saturday. 

A spokesperson for the library told KVUE that an employee heard a loud sound coming from the 6th floor men’s restroom of the library. They said the employee went to investigate and that they found the victim with a gunshot wound in his stomach.

Shelter in place alerts went out to the community at around 12:40 p.m. Saturday while police searched for the accused shooter.

“Austin Travis County EMS [ATCEMS], just because it was in a public library, did upgrade it to an active attack call, which meant that you saw a very robust response,” ATCEMS chief of staff Wesley Hopkins said. 

Police say the shooter was taken into custody more than an hour later in South Austin.


Bystander recalls hearing the gunshot

Daryl Rembert visits the Austin Central Library just about every weekend, where he educates people about Narcan. He was on the 6th floor library rooftop talking to people on Saturday when the shooting happened. 

“I heard the pop, and I knew what it was,” Rembert said. “This girl came out and she was hysterical, ‘Someone got shot!’”.

He describes the following 15 minutes as stressful, waiting to find out if it was safe to leave the building or if the shooter was still there. 

“First time I looked over the roof back here and there was police officers with guns and everything, I knew it was serious,” Rembert said. “We didn’t know what to expect.”

Shortly after the building was evacuated, Rembert recorded video on his phone outside to show people what was going on.

“This is a safe place, you know, like this is the Central Library, there’s a lot of security here,” Rembert said. 

He said he’s not going to stay away from the library, but the incident serves as a safety reminder for him. 

“I’m not going to stay home in a box, you know, I’m still going to go out there,” Rembert said. “Maybe watching your surroundings more, that this can really happen here.”


Response from the Austin Public Library

In a statement from the Austin Public Library, the institution said it is grateful for the quick evacuation and response from first responders.

“Our thoughts are with those who were present for this upsetting incident, we hope for a swift recovery for the injured individual, and we are grateful for the quick response from first responders,” the statement said in part. “…We remain committed to ensuring our libraries are safe and welcoming spaces for everyone who visits.”

The library said its staff members regularly receive safety and emergency response training. It also partners with the Austin Police Department (APD) for security needs and Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TSCO) for part-time shifts at several library branches.

The Central Library opened back up to the public on Sunday.