Three people were declared dead at the scene of a shooting in Austin, Texas on Sunday afternoon, according to a tweet from the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
The Austin Police Department did not release the names of the victims but identified them as two Hispanic females and one Black male.
“We are still asking residents to shelter in place and report suspicious activity,” the tweet stated.
A 911 call was made at 11:42 a.m., local time. Police arrived at at the Arboretum Oaks Apartments approximately 4 minutes later, officials said.
During a press conference, Austin Police Department Chief Joseph Chacon named Stephen Broderick, 41, as a tentative suspect and said officials decided to release Broderick’s name because he was not in custody and was considered armed and dangerous. Broderick is described as a 5-foot-7 Black man wearing a grey hoodie sunglasses and a baseball cap.
“This is still an ongoing and active investigation and we do not have this individual in custody yet. We would ask if you have your neighbor’s phone numbers, call or text them check on them and make sure that they’re okay. We are concerned that he might possibly take a hostage and be himself sheltered somewhere waiting for us to leave. And most importantly, if you see something, or you have information regarding this incident, call 911,” Chacon said.
Broderick is a former Travis County Sheriff’s detective and was charged with sexual assault of a child in June 2020, according to NBC News affiliate KXAN News.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services first tweeted about the active shooter situation at approximately 12 p.m. CT, stating the the three victims suffered gunshot wounds and that CPR was being performed. Officials later tweeted that the three victims had died.
No other patients “have been reported or located at this time,” Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services tweeted.
The shooting took place on the 9600 block of Great Hills Trail, in Northwest Austin.
This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence hotline for help at (800) 799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for more. States often have domestic violence hotlines as well.
