Three people were fatally shot in Austin on Sunday and no suspects are in custody, emergency responders said.
The Austin-Travis County EMS said it has received no reports of other victims. EMS spokeswoman Capt. Christa Stedman said early Sunday afternoon that it was still an active scene and that no arrests have been made.
She said the first 911 call came in at 11:44 a.m. and that three adults were fatally shot.
Austin police, SWAT and medical personnel respond to an active shooter situation located Great Hills Trail in Northwest Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 18, 2021. Emergency responders say several people have been fatally shot in Austin and that no suspect is in custody. (Brontë WittpennAustin American-Statesman via AP)
Stedman said she did not know the exact location where the three people were killed but that emergency personnel responded to an area that included a strip mall, several retail stores with a large apartment complex behind it.
Josh Katzowitz, who had been shopping at the nearby Trader Joe’s, said police and ambulances came “pouring in” to the area as he was leaving. He didn’t hear any shooting.
“The cops had their guns out,” he said. “Some had pistols, some had rifles and they were strapping on bulletproof vests. There were all of a sudden ambulances, sirens and police cars There were cops coming from everywhere.”
Police and emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal shooting, Sunday, April 18, 2021, in Austin, Texas. Emergency responders say several people have been fatally shot in Austin and that no suspect is in custody. EMS spokeswoman Capt. Christa Stedman said early Sunday afternoon that it was still an active scene. (AP PhotoJim Vertuno)
Police said on Twitter that they were on the scene of an active shooting and asked nearby residents to shelter in place and avoid the area.
Images from the scene showed a large presence of emergency responders, including dozens of police cars. There are also several ambulances and two SWAT trucks at the scene, and two police helicopters and a drone overhead.
Police said a portion of a nearby highway would be shut down in both directions.
Austin police, SWAT and medical personnel respond to an active shooter situation located Great Hills Trail in Northwest Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 18, 2021. Emergency responders say several people have been fatally shot in Austin and that no suspect is in custody. (Brontë WittpennAustin American-Statesman via AP)
Associated Press reporter Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed.