APD: One dead, others hurt in downtown shooting

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Police say one woman is dead and several others were injured after shots were fired. 

Austin Police say one woman is dead and several others are injured after a shooting early Sunday morning in downtown Austin. 

Initially police believed they were dealing with an active shooter situation. Upon further investigation they discovered they were dealing with two separate situations but due to the proximity in time and location they thought there could be an active shooter. That has turned out not to be the case.

"As officers arrived, as you can imagine with the large crowds and all of the people leaving the bars it was a chaotic scene with people running in different directions. Our officers did a good job getting to the victims and EMS was close by and able to provide assistance and transport those in need of care," said APD Chief of Staff Brian Manley. 

Several gunshots rang out around 2:17 a.m. near 6th and San Jacinto street. The search is underway for the suspect. He is described as a black or Hispanic male with light skin and in his 20's.

According to Austin Travis County EMS one woman in her 20's died at the scene and three other women in their 30's were transported to UMC Brackenridge with serious injuries. There was a fifth man who refused to go to the hospital. 

The second incident happened in the 800 block of Trinity in a parking garage at 2:24 a.m. Officers believe an altercation occurred and a man pulled out a gun and fired shots. 

"One individual did pull out a weapon and fired it at another and so given the fact that we had multiple shots fired on 6th street and we had another incident that occurred several blocks away with shots being fired the initial concern was that we had an individual that was engaging in active shooter tactics in an entertainment district. But again that's not what our assessment is at this point," said Manley. 

As for the second incident Manley says the suspect was disarmed and taken down by witnesses. He was transported to the hospital. It's not clear what charges he could be facing. 

Manley said officers were in the area as they always are along 6th street on a Saturday night. They heard the shots and were able to respond very quickly. 

In the age of social media Manley believes people may have caught what happened on camera. "We did a good job of securing the scene. We know with social media a lot of people captured this and it's important to the investigation that if you have video you send it to us," said Manley. 

Part of 6th street will remain closed as police investigate the crime scene. If you have video or any information send it to police3@austintexas.gov or you can call the homicide tip line 512-477-3588.