AUSTIN, Texas (CN) --- Early Saturday morning, 14 people were injured in a late night mass shooting on the popular East 6th Street. Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said in a press briefing that there are so far no fatalities, but that two people are in critical condition.
“It’s not clear, at this point, what sparked this off or why this happened, but out of an abundance of caution we have notified the FBI’s joint terrorism taskforce,” said Chacon.
Police later identified two male suspects they believe are responsible for the shooting. One of the suspects have been brought into custody.
Austin police confirmed the apprehension of the suspect, saying that the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force helped bring him into custody.
Chacon categorized the shooting as an isolated incident between the two men, and all those who sustained injuries are believed to be innocent bystanders.
People on 6th who were out to enjoy the nightlife described a scene of chaos as shots rang out.
Two witnesses told Austin NBC affiliate KXAN, “The whole night there was such a huge police presence, there was so many people in the street and we just heard like bunch of gunshots going off. Everyone got on the ground, we couldn't even comprehend what was going on at the time.”
In videos posted to Twitter, Austin police can be seen carrying a victim to an ambulance and tending to others lying in the street.
Reacting to this news, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement, “Texas Department of Public Safety is working with Austin Police to respond and ensure the perpetrators are captured and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
The shooting comes after a string of other high profile mass shootings in the state, including the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting where a man killed 23, a 2018 school shooting at a South Texas High School that left 10 dead and the Sutherland Springs church shooting, which led to the deaths of 26 people.
Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have both in recent years voiced support for background checks for firearms. However, in this last legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed a bill to allow for permitless carry of handguns in the state and Abbott has said that he plans to sign it into law soon.
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