Police have arrested one suspect and are still searching for a second following a mass shooting that injured more than a dozen people in Austin, Texas.
“One suspect is in custody at this time. The second suspect remains at large,” the Austin Police Department said in a statement. “We continue to work on this case and follow up on leads to apprehend the remaining suspect.”
Police also said the US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force helped with the arrest, but gave no other details.
A little before 1:30am on Saturday, a person or persons opened fire in a busy bar district of downtown Austin, injuring 14 people. Two of the victims are in critical condition.
“Most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we’re still sorting out all of the victims to see what their involvement is in this case,” Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at a 4am press conference.
In the chaos that followed the shooting, Mr Chacon said several officers tended to victims in police cars as ambulances struggled to make their way to the scene.
“Our officers responded very quickly,” Mr Chacon said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets, applications of chest seals.”
Police said the shooting was an “isolated incident” and seemed to have stemmed from a dispute between the two male suspects.
Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler, thanked the police and other emergency personnel for their life-saving work.
“We thank our community’s law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel for a quick response on Sixth Street,” Mr Adler tweeted. “We are fortunate not to have any fatalities but remain concerned for the two individuals in critical condition.”
Mr Adler added that the shooting was part of a broader problem.
“The uptick in gun violence locally is part of a disturbing rise in gun violence across the country as we exit the pandemic,” the mayor said. “One thing is clear - greater access to firearms does not equal greater public safety.”
