AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A random shooting outside a Target store in Texas began when a gunman killed an employee collecting shopping carts then a man and his 4-year-old granddaughter, sparking a chaotic hour of stolen cars and crashes that ended with him arrested naked holding a Bible, police said Tuesday.
Ethan Nieneker, 32, is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of murder over Monday's shooting in Austin. Court records show a series of past arrests for domestic violence and assault.
“What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence,” Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference. “Innocent lives were taken in broad daylight, in a place where people should feel safe to run their everyday errands and to live their everyday lives.”
The police chief said that although Nieneker had a history of mental health issues, she was unaware of any specific diagnosis. Sgt. Nathan Sexton said the firearm Nieneker used in the attacks was acquired through family.
After shooting the Target employee, Nieneker shot the grandfather as he sat in the driver's seat of his sport utility vehicle, then fatally shot the little girl in the back seat before stealing the vehicle and driving away fast, police said.
“It was a completely random choosing of the victims,” Sexton said.
Police said the Target employee, Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24, was taken to a hospital where he died. Adam Chow, 65, and his granddaughter were pronounced dead at the scene while Chow’s wife sustained minor injuries. The name of the child was not released.
Over the next hour, Nieneker tried to steal a water truck at a construction site, caused multiple vehicle crashes, wrecked Chow's vehicle and then stole a Volkswagen he'd crashed into, police said. He also tried to break into a Waymo self-driving vehicle, threw a brick through the home of an acquaintance and walked naked through a backyard.
Officers found Nieneker walking naked on a street after he ditched his clothes in a portable toilet, police said. He was holding a Bible and was subdued with a Taser when he would not comply with demands.
“He said that he was Jesus,” Sexton said.
Police received multiple 911 calls as the suspect made his way across the city.
Chris Ferran said he was driving on a highway when he saw an SUV fly past him, then smash into two vehicles and keep going. “I’m not letting anybody get away with this, so I chased him down and called 911,” he said.
Ferran watched as the driver pulled into a construction site, got out of the SUV and ripped a worker out of a water truck. Ferran said the SUV’s driver, who was clad in what looked like swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, was in the truck for a while. So Ferran started shooting a video.
But when the man got out of the water truck, Ferran realized he had a gun.
“As soon as I saw that, I threw the phone down and I reversed and I was trying to get us out of there,” said Ferran, who had his two daughters with him.
Jail records did not list an attorney for Nieneker on Tuesday.
Online court records show Nieneker was arrested several times in recent years in both Travis County, which includes Austin, and neighboring Williamson County.
His Travis County arrests include misdemeanors for criminal mischief and driving while intoxicated, and three arrests on felony domestic violence charges. He was convicted of a charge of assault causing bodily injury family violence in 2016 and briefly sentenced to jail.
Another charge within days of the 2016 episode was dismissed. It was not immediately clear if those two charges were related. Another charge of felony assault on a family or household member in 2019 was dismissed three years later when prosecutors could not locate the victim.
Williamson County records show repeated run-ins with law enforcement, including two cases of misdemeanor family violence in 2015 that were later dismissed. He was also convicted of possession of marijuana in 2012 and entered a no contest plea to a charge of criminal mischief in 2016.
Monday's shooting came as back-to-school shopping was in full swing ahead of the upcoming academic year. It also comes about two weeks after an attack at a Walmart in Michigan in which a man stabbed 11 people. The suspect has been charged with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder.
Stengle contributed to this report from Dallas. Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this story from Kansas City, Missouri.
This photo provided by Austin Police Department shows Ethan Nieneker. (Austin Police Department via AP)
Police monitor the scene near a Target after a shooting in Austin, Texas, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players' union will not agree to another collective bargaining agreement extension after the current deadline passes Friday night, WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart said.
That does not mean players will strike or the league will lock them out. Stewart told reporters Thursday at an Unrivaled practice that the players would continue to negotiate in good faith.
With the deadline just before midnight Friday night, the league wouldn't confirm that the two sides won't reach an extension. A WNBA spokesman did say the league would “continue to negotiate in good faith with the goal of reaching a deal as quickly as possible.”
“Our focus remains on reaching an agreement that significantly increases player compensation while ensuring the long-term growth of the business,” a league spokesperson said.
The league and the players have had two previous extensions and have met several times this week. Any stalled negotiations could delay the start of the 2026 season. The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to.
It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin later this month.
While a strike or lockout isn't imminent, both sides could change their viewpoints.
Stewart said calling a strike is “not something that we’re going to do right this second, but we have that in our back pocket.” The league hasn't been considering a lockout, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
As of Thursday, the sides remained far apart on many key issues, including salary and revenue sharing, and it seems unlikely a deal could have been reached before Friday's deadline.
The league’s most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That’s up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
Under the league's proposal, players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue — though that would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.
The average salary in 2026 would be more than $530,000, up from its current $120,000, and grow to more than $770,000 over the life of the agreement. The minimum salary would grow from its current $67,000 to more than $250,000 in the first year, the person told the AP.
The proposal would also financially pay star young players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who are all still on their rookie contracts, nearly double the league minimum.
Revenue sharing is one of the major sticking points in the negotiations.
The union's counter proposal to the league would give players around 30% of the gross revenue. The player's percentage would be from money generated before expenses for the first year and teams would have a $10.5 million salary cap to sign players. Under the union's proposal, the revenue sharing percent would go up slightly each year.
The union feels that the $750 million in expansion fees that the league just received with the addition of Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia by 2030 should be considered revenue and included in projections. The league says that the money actually goes to all the current teams that were in place before expansion to make up for the future money they’ll be losing by dividing the total revenue by more franchises.
Other major sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and NFL don't include expansion fees in their revenue-sharing structures. Major League Baseball's salary structure is not tied to its revenue, so expansion fees don't matter.
The league has proposed making players pay for their housing instead of having teams continue to incur the costs. With the potential new minimum salary over $250,000, the WNBA has said that like most every other pro league, players should pay for their own housing.
The union's stance is that teams should continue to pay for players' housing.
An extended delay in getting a deal done could cause a number of problems, specifically getting the season started on time or even played for several reasons. There are several factors that indicate that time is near:
— Free agency
With nearly all the veteran players free agents this offseason, this will be the biggest year in the league's history as far as potential movement. Free agency was supposed to start later this month. However, once a new CBA is reached, it could take both parties two months to get free agency started.
— Revenue-generating events could be delayed
The release of the schedule has been delayed because of the lack of a new CBA. In the past, the league has tried to get it out before the holidays so teams can sell tickets. With so many players potentially changing teams as free agents, new merchandise wouldn't be able to be sold.
— Expansion draft
With Portland and Toronto entering the league this year, an expansion draft has to be held for the two new teams. Last year when Golden State came into the WNBA, a draft was held in December. Current teams need to figure out who they will be protecting from being selected in the draft, and that is made more complicated due to all the free agents.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
FILE - The WNBA logo is seen near a hoop before an WNBA basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena, May 14, 2019, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
