AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Police say three people died Monday afternoon and a fourth was injured after a shooting at a Target store in North Austin - a store packed with back-to-school shoppers.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said a suspect, described as a 32-year old male, had been taken into custody. Davis said the suspect has a known history of mental health issues.
Davis said the incident began around 2:15 p.m. when police were originally called to the Target store at 8600 Research Boulevard near Ohlen Road for a hotshot call. Officers were on the scene within four minutes; they were met with three victims in the store's parking lot.
“This is a very sad day for Austin. It’s a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families,” Davis said.
EMS arrived on the scene a few minutes later. Two of the deceased victims were pronounced on the scene; the third patient was transported to a nearby hospital where they died from their injuries. No information on the victims' ages were immediately available.
Davis said the suspect had fled the scene by stealing a vehicle from the parking lot, wrecking it, then stealing another vehicle, reportedly from a Volkswagen dealership. He was taken into custody after being Tased in South Austin in the 2400 block of La Costa, sometime before 4 p.m.
A motive for the shooting remains unclear at this time, Davis said.