7-12-2023 (TEXAS) A shooting incident lasting several hours unfolded in Austin, Texas on Tuesday (December 5th), resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including two police officers, and leaving three others injured. The suspect has been apprehended.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the shooting spree began in Austin, where four victims were fatally shot before the suspect engaged in a gun battle with law enforcement. In the San Antonio area, a male and a female were found dead inside a residence.
Interim Chief of the Austin Police Department, Henderson, stated, “We believe that one suspect is responsible for all the incidents.” He further added that the unidentified suspect “has been detained and no longer poses a threat to our community.” At least four incidents in Austin have been linked to this suspect, including two cases of double homicide, an injured police officer near a school, and a non-fatal shooting of a cyclist.
Two victims were discovered dead at a burglary scene where a confrontation ensued between the police and the suspect, resulting in an injured officer. The gunman subsequently fled in a vehicle and was involved in a collision during a pursuit by law enforcement. Authorities have connected the suspect to a homicide that occurred in a residence approximately 112 kilometers south of Bexar County. When authorities investigated the home, they found the bodies of a male and a female wedged against a door in a small room, both in their 50s.
Sheriff Salazar of Bexar County described the scene as “a very gruesome crime scene.” It is believed that the male suspect committed the initial murder in Bexar County, “then drove to Austin and did what he did there,” he stated.
Henderson mentioned that the suspect was arrested for possessing firearms and is facing charges of murder. He characterized these events as a series of “tragic incidents and appalling criminal behavior.”
Gun violence in the United States continues to shock the nation. The number of firearms in circulation surpasses the country’s population, yet efforts to curb their proliferation consistently face strong political resistance.
