2 Suspects ID'd After 14 Shot In Downtown Austin

AUSTIN, TX— Two suspects in a mass shooting that left 14 wounded early Saturday morning in Austin's Sixth Street district are at large, but police said Saturday afternoon they expect to bring them into custody.

The shooting in Austin's downtown entertainment district wounded 14 but killed no one, as officers in the area used tourniquets and first aid kits and transported four of the victims out of the scene in police cruisers rather than wait for EMS to make their way through Friday night crowds, police said.

In a news conference late Saturday afternoon, Austin Police Interim Chief Joseph Chacon said the 1:24 a.m. incident in the Sixth Street district was one of the "most significant" in Austin's history as he gave the city updates on victim conditions and the investigation.

Chacon said authorities currently have two male suspects in an investigation that is "very actively ongoing."

"We believe we'll be successful in bringing them into custody," Chacon said. Police believe the mass shooting arose from an isolated incident between two parties, Charcon said in the news conference. He noted the investigation is still in early stages, so information may change.

He said investigators are currently "sorting out all victims to see what their involvement was," and using multiple surveillance and security footage of the incident.

Chacon said because of the chaotic scene, police do not know how many shots were fired. They will rely on video and other evidence, he said. He also said that the count of victims could yet increase if others are identified.

When the call came to 911 at 1:24 a.m. Saturday, reporting shots had been fired in the area of 400 E. 6th Street, the large Friday night crowd was still out, and officers were in the same block where the shooting was reported. The Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally is happening in Austin right now, but Chacon made a point of saying police do not believe the shooting is related to the ROT Rally.

"We had officers in that block as shots rang out. Officers jumped into action," Chacon said.

He revised early reports of 13 victims to say 14 were wounded, and that one victim had not been counted because they self-transported to medical care.

Chacon said of the 14 shooting victims, "almost all were innocent bystanders," based on what police know as of late Saturday. He reported in the new conference 12 victims were in stable condition, and two were in critical condition.

He offered "heartfelt sympathy" to the victims and their families.

The Austin Police Department is being assisted by the Texas DPS, the FBI, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, "because there were guns involved," Chacon said.

The interim chief praised the officers on the scene for their quick response that he said he believes saved lives.

"Reviewing video, it was clear to me our officers were amazing. I truly believe they saved lives," said Chacon. The officer used first aid kits and tourniquets, applying them quickly to gunshot wounds and giving CPR as EMS made their way through the Friday night crowd.

The officers chose not to delay transport while waiting for EMS, but to use their own police cruisers to get six of the wounded to care.

Emergency crews transported another four victims and four transported themselves to care, Chacon said, noting that these are preliminary numbers that still could change as information is gathered.

"I'm happy to report no one has died," Chacon told reporters overnight near the scene of the incident.

Chacon asked anyone with information, video, or who witnessed the shooting to call 911 or 512-472-TIPS. The call is anonymous, he said.

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