At least 13 people were injured in a mass shooting in a busy entertainment district in downtown Austin, police in the Texan city said early Saturday.
“I’m happy to report no one has died,” interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon told reporters near the scene of the incident in the area of 400 E 6th Street — a popular area filled with bars and restaurants.
The first call of shots fired came in at around 1:24 a.m. local time (2:24 a.m. ET), he said, adding that the street was barricaded to keep out crowds and vehicle traffic at the time of the shooting.
“We do have 2 patients in critical condition,” he added. “We have a total of 11 people transported to one hospital, 1 was transported to a different hospital and 1 person reported to an Urgent Care Clinic. So there is a total of 13 shooting victims.”
“Our officers responded very quickly,” the interim chief said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals.”
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Appealing for witnesses to come forward, Chacon said that the motive for the shooting was “unclear,” adding that officers were reviewing video footage of the area.
The shooters were not immediately apprehended. “At this time, this appears to be an isolated incident,” Austin police said in a statement later on Saturday.
The aggravated assault and homicide police units as well as a gang unit were investigating the incident, while the FBI’s terrorism task force had been notified and were also on the scene, Chacon told press.
The City of Austin’s Emergency Medical Services Department tweeted that personnel were now clearing the area.
This is a breaking news story, please check back for updates.
Joe Studley contributed.
