Three people are dead after a suspect opened fire at a Target store in Austin, Texas.
The shooting outside the store on Research Boulevard broke out at 2.15pm on Monday.
Arriving police officers found three people with gunshot wounds, according to the Austin Police Department.
Police described the suspect as a white male possibly wearing khaki shorts and a Hawaiian or floral print shirt.
‘DO NOT APPROACH,’ wrote the police department on X.
‘For your safety avoid the area.’
In an update shortly after, the police department wrote that the suspect had been detained, but the scene was still active.
The suspect stole a vehicle from the Target car park and crashed, then stole another car from a Volkswagen dealership, police said.
Someone spotted the suspect getting out of the second car in the southern part of the city and called police. Officers used a Taser on him and took him into custody.
The owner of the first car was shot dead at the scene.
Initially two victims were reported dead, but officials confirmed a third fatality.
‘We have three people that are deceased. This is a very sad day for Austin,’ said police Chief Lisa Davis.
‘It’s a very bad day for us all, and my condolences go out to the families.’
The suspect has been identified as being around 32 years old. His name was not immediately released. He is believed to have suffered from mental health issues.
The victims have not been identified.
‘This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families,’ wrote Mayor Kirk Watson on X.
‘While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I’ll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence.’
What sparked the shooting is unclear.
Law enforcement officials were seen leading employees wearing red Target uniforms across a road as an investigation into the shooting continued.
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