Suspect arrested after 3 killed in Austin, Texas, shooting

The suspect was taken into custody outside Austin a little after 7 a.m. Monday, police in Manor, Texas, said in a statement. A loaded pistol was found in the suspect's waistband, according to the statement.

Two people called authorities to report a man fitting the suspect's description walking down a road, police said. When officers arrived, the suspect complied with their orders, and he was taken into custody.

The Travis County Sheriff's Office took the suspect to a booking facility in Austin.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza issued a statement saying his "heart breaks for the victims" of Sunday's shooting.

"Our office has been clear that acts of violence committed in our community will not be tolerated," he said. Garza also thanked the members of the law enforcement working the case.

Austin police said just before 5 p.m. local time on Sunday that the shelter-in-place order had been lifted, although the suspect is still at large and believed to be armed. The search is transitioning to a fugitive search, but there is still an active crime scene. 

Austin interim Police Chief Joe Chacon said that police have exhausted the search in the immediate vicinity and they are asking the public to help.

Chacon said they had received tips in the neighborhood, but "we have exhausted all of the tips and we have not been able to locate him."

Chacon said there is not an active shooter situation, and the shooting appeared to be domestic in nature. The relationship between the suspect and the victims is not clear, although Chacon said the victims were known to each other.

The suspect appears to be a former Travis County Sheriff's Office detective who was charged in June 2020 with sexual assault of a child. The Travis County Sheriff's public information office would not confirm on Sunday if the suspect was the same person, but confirmed the name and date of birth are the same.

At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Austin interim Police Chief Joe Chacon said the victims of the shooting were two Hispanic women and one Black man. A preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect knew the victims, Chacon said, although the motive remains unclear.

Chacon said the situation is not being treated as an active shooting, but residents are being advised to shelter in place because it is "still an ongoing and active situation."

"We are concerned he may take a hostage or may himself be sheltered somewhere, waiting for us to leave," Chacon said.

Chacon said there were reports about a child being involved, but police have safely located the child. The child is now safely in police custody, Chacon said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Joe Chacon as the assistant police chief. He's the interim police chief.