Woman killed, 3 hurt in downtown Austin shooting
Victim in her 20s dead in Texas capital assault; three others being treated for wounds
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Austin emergency services on Sunday morning said one person had been killed and three others were hospitalized in a shooting in the Texas capital.
Postings on Austin police’s official Facebook and Twitter sites just before 3 a.m. announced what was described as two separate shootings in the same area and warned people to stay away from downtown.
Captain Rick Rutledge of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services told The Associated Press that one woman was dead and three others have been taken to hospitals following the assault in the city’s entertainment district.
Austin Police Chief of Staff Brian Manley said police received reports of gunshots in the crowded entertainment area shortly after 2 a.m. Police arrived to find a chaotic scene and five people shot.
Manley said a suspect began firing into the crowd after an initial disturbance.
He confirmed a woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and said three other women were taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with gunshot wounds. Officials described those transported to the hospital as serious, but said their wounds were not considered life-threatening.
Manley said another victim declined to be transported to the hospital.
“It was a very chaotic scene,” Manley said. “A lot of people running in different directions with all the gunshots coming out.”
He said officials are trying to determine who the suspects are, and he didn’t rule out that a suspect might be one of the people transported to the hospital.
Police originally reported an active shooter scene in the area, but Manley said two separate incidents caused the confusion. He said there was another confrontation in a nearby parking garage and that a shot was fired there. A man was transported to the hospital after that confrontation, but his condition was not immediately known.
Police said both scenes had been secured.
Active shooter incident downtown, multiple victims. Stay away from downtown. Media: Dont call for updates at this time, more to follow. PIO6
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) July 31, 2016
Multiple victims following shooting in Austin, Texas. https://t.co/5FeY6WBaUp https://t.co/zLPxeQgyN5
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 31, 2016
Police across the country, and especially in Texas, remain on edge weeks after a black extremist shot dead five officers protecting a peaceful march against police brutality in Dallas.
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