This happened as the shooting was taking place. According to police, the shooting took place at 2 a.m. All four victims were treated for minor injuries in hospital.
Austin police stated Sunday afternoon that they had taken a suspect into custody. According to them, a preliminary investigation revealed that the shooting was a disturbance between two groups and that it wasn’t a random act.
According to the Austin American Statesman President Ken Casaday of the Austin Police Association stated that there were 31 arrests and 19 firearms seized in downtown Austin prior to the shooting.
Last summer, there were multiple shootings in the same East 6th Street area, which is a popular tourist spot. According to the Statesman, in June 2021, a tourist hailing from Michigan was shot and killed, while 13 others were injured in Austin’s worst mass shooting for seven years. According to the Statesman, in July 2021, two female victims were hurt in an East 6h Street shooting. A third victim was also injured.
Two separate shootings were also held at the conclusion of the 2019 SXSW festival: one on East 6th Street, and another on East 7th Street.
Joseph Chacon, Austin’s chief police officer, told CBS Austin that there would be a “strong presence downtown” to stop gun violence during SXSW. He said that some officers would be removed from their regular duties to patrol the downtown.