Random South Austin Shootings Update

Austin police said on May 18 that three teenagers were arrested in connection with a weekend string of shootings, stolen vehicles and related violent crimes across Austin. The incidents unfolded between Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, according to an Austin Police Department release. Investigators said the shootings included both random and targeted attacks, and four people were injured. Police said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public tied to the incidents. ### Who is in custody, and what charges are being considered? Austin police identified one suspect as Cristian Mondragon-Fajardo, 17, and said two other suspects are ages 16 and 15. Because the two younger suspects are juveniles, police said Texas law limits what can be released publicly about their identities, booking information and detention status. (austintexas.gov) The 17-year-old suspect could face multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest and theft of a firearm, police said. Austin police said formal charges remained under review on May 18 and that additional charges could follow as investigators examine ballistic evidence, surveillance footage, witness statements and recovered evidence. (austintexas.gov) ### How many shootings are police linking to the weekend spree? Austin police said they are investigating 12 separate shooting incidents that began Saturday afternoon and continued into Sunday morning. The department said the incidents were spread across Austin and were tied to a broader sequence of vehicle thefts, robberies and gunfire. (austintexas.gov) Four people were injured in the shootings, according to Austin police and local media reports citing police briefings. FOX 7 Austin reported that one person was critically wounded but later stabilized, and KXAN reported that multiple buildings were hit, including two Austin Fire Department stations and a firetruck. ### Where did the investigation begin on Saturday? Austin police said the sequence began at 11:30 a.m. on May 16 with a report of a stolen firearm from a business at 321 W. (austintexas.gov) Ben White Boulevard. Surveillance footage identified a dark-colored Hyundai Sonata, and investigators later determined that car had itself been stolen from the Social Apartments at 1817 E. Oltorf Drive, according to the police timeline. (fox7austin.com) At 3:58 p.m., officers responded to the first confirmed shooting in the 10 block of Yucca Drive, where they found shell casings and bullet damage to a trailer residence, police said. At 4:30 p.m., officers were called to the 3300 block of Parker Lane at the Whisper Hollow apartment complex, where multiple vehicles and an occupied apartment were struck by gunfire, including rooms occupied by adults and children, according to the release. No injuries were reported in those two shootings, police said. (austintexas.gov) ### Why did police first describe the shootings as random? Austin police said in a May 17 public appeal that there was “no specific motive or location” and that the shootings “appear to be random.” In that notice, police asked residents not to approach the suspects and to call 911 with sightings or other urgent information. By May 18, investigators said the incidents appeared to be a mix of random and targeted shootings. (austintexas.gov) Austin police said some victims were known to the suspects, while other shootings appeared to have no known connection. The department has not publicly described which incidents it believes were targeted and which were random. ### How were the suspects found? (austintexas.gov) Austin police said two suspects were taken into custody on Sunday, and Manor police later arrested a third suspect around 9:30 p.m. near FM 973 and U.S. Highway 290 in Manor. KXAN reported that Manor police said license plate readers helped locate the suspect vehicle and that nearly 200 officers from local and state agencies joined the search. (austintexas.gov) Austin issued a shelter-in-place warning Sunday afternoon for an area bounded by South Slaughter Lane, East McKinney Falls Parkway, North Ben White Boulevard and West Escarpment Boulevard, according to KXAN. Manor police and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office also issued and later lifted a shelter-in-place warning during the search for the third suspect, the station reported. (kxan.com) ### What are police asking residents to do now? Austin police said anyone with information should contact the department’s Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5177. The department also said anonymous tips can be submitted through Capital Area Crime Stoppers, and it offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in its May 17 notice. The next public updates are likely to come through charging decisions and additional police releases. (kxan.com) Austin police said on May 18 that investigators were still reviewing evidence and that more charges could be filed as that work continues. (austintexas.gov) (austintexas.gov)