Austin shooting investigation: 3 in custody after at least 12 incidents across the city, police say

At least 12 shootings in Austin beginning Saturday left four people wounded, including one person seriously hurt, officials said. Two teen suspects are in custody, and a third suspect has been detained, police said Sunday.

Austin police said the incident began on Saturday with a vehicle being reported stolen from an apartment complex, followed by a firearm being reported stolen from a store.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at that point, officials did not know the two incidents were connected; however, approximately 20 additional service calls related to the suspects followed, predominantly in South and East Austin.

Austin shootings traced to stolen car, gun theft, police say

The incidents stopped Saturday night before picking back up again just before 9 a.m. on Sunday, "when a man walking his dog was struck in his back with gunfire," Davis said.     

Davis said most of the shootings occurred in South Austin.

Mayor Kirk Watson said that includes two at different fire stations, including one when a firetruck was hit with gunfire with fire personnel standing right behind it.

Davis said the suspects also fired at apartment buildings. Officers, in turn, went door-to-door to ensure everyone in the apartment buildings was safe.

The chief said on Sunday afternoon that investigators were searching for multiple suspect vehicles, including a black or dark blue Hyundai, a gold Hyundai sedan, a silver four-door Mazda and a white Kia Optima. Austin PD said at least five vehicles were stolen.

"We had two individuals that were going and robbing cars, and then started firing shots at people," Davis said Sunday evening. "We had one pole cam that was up that actually captured one of the shootings in front of a store where two people were shot. A woman sitting there, standing there, talking to someone, and they drive by, and they shoot out their window, striking her."

Watson said no motive has been identified. 

"I don't know what motive would drive anybody to drive around senselessly in this city, in multiple parts of this city, shooting," he said.

Austin police said Monday that investigators believe the incidents were a mix of random and targeted shootings, adding that some victims were known to the suspects, while other incidents appeared to occur without any known connection.     

2 teen suspects arrested after traffic stop 

In their search for suspects, officials with the Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff's Office made a traffic stop on a white Kia based on information from Austin police. Three suspects got out of the car and ran before officers apprehended two of them, officials said.

Davis said investigators don't know when the third person became involved, but Manor police said Sunday night that the third suspect, a 16-year-old boy, has been detained.

The chief said the suspects in custody are 15-year-old and 17-year-old boys. Police said the 17-year-old, later identified as Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, has a warrant for theft of a gun from the same store where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a gun on Saturday.

The city issued a shelter-in-place order on Sunday while the search was on for the suspects. The order was later lifted after the first two suspects were taken into custody.  

Timeline of Austin shooting spree

Saturday, May 16 

• 11:30 a.m: A stolen firearm was reported from a business at 321 W. Ben White Blvd. Surveillance footage identified the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored Hyundai Sonata. Investigators later discovered that the Hyundai Sonata had been stolen from the Social Apartments at 1817 E. Oltorf Drive. 
• 3:58 p.m: The first confirmed shooting occurred at a trailer residence at 10 Yucca Dr. Officers found several shell casings and bullet damage to the structure. No injuries were reported. 
• 4:30 p.m: Officers were called to another shooting at the Whisper Hollow apartment complex at 3300 Parker Ln. Multiple vehicles and an occupied apartment were hit by gunfire, including rooms occupied by adults and young children. No injuries were reported. Investigators found shell casings from the scene and obtained surveillance footage showing a black sedan involved in the shooting. 
• 6:08 p.m: A third shooting occurred at an apartment complex at 1601 Montopolis Dr. Investigators found that the suspects exited the vehicle on foot and fired through the door of a third-floor apartment. No injuries were reported. Witnesses said they saw a suspect wearing a black hoodie enter a black sedan and flee the scene. Investigators obtained surveillance footage, which linked this shooting to the previous shootings and detectives began investigating this as a series of shootings.  
• 6:19 p.m: An unoccupied home at 4802 Cypress Bend was hit by gunfire. The homeowner came home to find bullet holes in his home and vehicle. Investigators recovered video footage from a neighboring rhome that captured a dark-colored sedan matching the vehicle that was involved in previous incidents.  
• 7:00 p.m: A Hyundai Elantra was stolen from a Motel 6 parking lot at 2707 S IH-35 Service Road North. Investigators obtained video capturing images of the suspects, which matched the descriptions from previous incidents. 
• 8:30 p.m: Shots were fired at a business and nearby vehicles at 6575 Decker Lane. A witness told police that a suspect fired a gun into the air from a vehicle. No damage or injuries were reported.  
• 8:49 p.m: A suspect fired shots from a vehicle into the garage doors of Austin Fire Station 26, at 6702 Wentworth Dr. while firefighters were inside. The gunfire hit emergency response vehicles and equipment. No firefighters were injured. 
• 8:55 p.m: Two victims reported that suspect fired shots from their vehicle, hitting the windshield of the victim's vehicle, which was parked with people inside at 5701 Purple Sage Dr. One victim, who was sitting inside the vehicle when it was struck, received minor injuries from the shattered windshield glass. The witnesses said the suspects were driving in a dark-colored sedan, which matched the description of the sedan used in previous incidents.  

Sunday, May 17 

• 3:50 a.m: A stolen vehicle was reported at 2336 Douglas St.
• 7:45 a.m: Officers found a stolen vehicle with bullet damage at 1800 E. Stassney Ln., believed to be connected to the ongoing incidents. 
• 8:46 a.m: At 7409 Janes Ranch Rd., a victim was shot in the back and stomach and taken to a hospital. A witness described a dark-colored sedan driving away after hearing shots fired, linking this incident to the incidents of the prior day.  
• 9:00 a.m: Officers located one of the stolen Hyundai vehicles connected to the investigation at South First Street and Ben White Boulevard, but the vehicle eluded before officers could attempt a traffic stop. 
• 9:30 a.m: Investigators recovered additional stolen vehicles in Southeast Austin, believed to be tied to the suspects and shootings.  
• 10:46 a.m: A shooting involving a gold-colored sedan was reported at Austin Fire Station 32, at 2804 Monticello Rd. A suspect fired shots from a vehicle into the Austin Fire station while the garage doors were open, hitting an AFD vehicle and the building. Firefighters were inside during the shooting. A witness told a firefighter they saw a suspect in a gold sedan firing into the station.  
• 1:27 p.m: Investigators believe the suspects stole a white Kia Optima from 4501 S IH-35 Service Road North later used in several shootings. 
• 1:44 p.m: Two victims were shot at 2223 Burton Dr. during a drive-by shooting involving the white Kia Optima. As officers searched for the suspect vehicle, portions of Burton Drive near East Oltorf Lane were temporarily shut down as part of the active investigation and emergency response. Detectives reviewed camera footage that corroborated what the victims reported to officers.   
• 1:53 p.m: A shooting involving the white sedan was reported at 6118 Fairway St.
• 2:02 p.m: Additional shots-fired incident reported at 10001 Burleson Rd.
• 2:29 p.m: A victim at 11700 Dionda Ln. sustained gunshot wounds and was taken to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries. Austin police said the victim is now being treated at a local hospital. Investigators located surveillance footage showing a white Kia sedan approaching a victim before the victim fell to the ground. The Kia then fled the scene.  
• 3:23 p.m: The stolen white Kia Optima was located by Manor Police Department officers in the FM 973 area after a BOLO was broadcast to surrounding agencies. Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff's Office deputies pursued the vehicle until the suspects drove into a field near FM 973 and abandoned the vehicle. Three suspects fled on foot. One suspect was apprehended near the vehicle. A second suspect was located nearby after an extensive search involving K9s, air support, and multiple agencies. The third suspect was detained later after Manor police responded to a suspicious person call near FM 973. 

In total, over the course of the 12 shootings: 

• Four people were struck by gunfire. Three victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. One victim sustained critical injuries and was transported to a trauma center
• Five vehicles were struck by gunfire
• Four residences were struck by gunfire
• Two fire stations were struck by gunfire
• Three fire department vehicles were struck by gunfire
• At least five vehicles were stolen
• One firearm was stolen

3 teens in custody

Austin police said that formal charges remain under review and are expected to include multiple counts 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. Additional charges may be filed as investigators continue reviewing ballistic evidence, surveillance footage, witness statements and recovered evidence. 

The investigation is active and ongoing, Davis said.