The shelter-in-place order has been lifted, after Austin PD said two of the shooting suspects are now detained. However, they said they are still searching for one of the suspects who remains at large in the Manor area.
A shelter-in-place alert was issued to residents in the Austin area as police warn they are searching for suspects connected to at least 10 shootings that injured at least four; one with serious injuries.
The Austin Police Department issued the order at about 3:26 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. “Austin Police officers continue to search for suspects located [connected] to multiple shootings and have issued a shelter in place in the areas of South Slaughter Ln, East McKinney Falls Pkwy, North Ben White Blvd., and West Escarpment Blvd. Residents in the surrounding area are instructed to stay indoors until further notice,” the APD said.
City of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in a video posted by the APD on social media that they are reporting 10 shootings in the area, including two shootings at Austin Fire Department stations. They said the shootings occurred primarily in South Austin, and appear to be random.
“It appears the people are changing vehicles,” he added. Davis described all four vehicles used thus far by the suspects are a black or dark blue Hyundai, a gold Hyundai sedan, a silver Mazda four-door and a White Kia Optima they are currently looking for. Davis said they are looking for two Hispanics in their late teens, one with medium wavy hair, and the other with longer hair.
She said this is an ongoing investigation, and reminded the public to leave their cars locked as they are seeing the cars involved may have been stolen.
The searching began by Austin PD at about 11:50 a.m. when they reached out to the community via their social media platforms for help in identifying potential suspects connected “to multiple shootings” that happened on Saturday, May 16.
“There is no specific motive or location(s) the shootings are taking place, and they appear to be random. At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and APD asks that our community remain vigilant,” they said in a statement. “If you see anything suspicious, know the whereabouts of the suspect(s), or the suspect vehicle, do not approach.”