The Austin Police Department responded to 12 different shootings across South and East Austin Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed in a press briefing on Sunday. APD took two suspects — a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old — into custody late Sunday afternoon, Davis said, adding a third suspect had fled and that Manor Police was leading that search.
Just after 9 p.m. Sunday, Manor Police fielded a call regarding a suspicious person at the city’s H-E-B Fuel station. Officers arrived and took the person into custody, identifying them as the third suspect from the earlier police pursuit. Manor PD said the third detained suspect was a “juvenile,” but did not yet release their age.
The detainment of a third suspect came after a widespread search of the area involving almost 200 officers from local and state agencies, Manor Police said, noting SWAT teams, air search services and canine support aided the effort. The series of shootings led to a shelter-in-place order being issued for a wide swath of South Austin on Sunday afternoon as police searched for the suspects, who police said stole and used multiple vehicles throughout the weekend.
Four people were shot during the string of incidents, including one person who sustained serious injuries, law enforcement said. Upon preliminary investigation, the shootings appeared random, Davis added, with two Austin Fire Department facilities shot at alongside apartment complexes and other locations.