New video shows man setting Austin house on fire before shooting himself

AUSTIN, Texas - New video shows the moments a suspect set fire to a South Austin home before shooting himself earlier this week. Austin Police say they’re investigating the incident as an act of family violence and believe that the suspect was also responsible for another fire set earlier that day.

New video of incident

The latest:

It was around 10:40 AM on Wednesday when video footage captured from a neighbor’s Nest camera showed the suspect talking to two other men in the driveway of a home along Edgeware Drive. He eventually makes his way toward the front of the house, where a single gunshot is then heard. Austin Police say the suspect was trying to gain access to the home and used a gun to shoot out a window before throwing an object inside the home to start a fire. Video shows flames beginning to spread in the font of the house as a cloud of smoke began to develop. The suspect can be seen walking and back forth across the yard as one of the other men makes a phone call and makes his way towards the flames.

Minutes later, APD can be seen arriving on scene as an officer parked along Edgeware Drive and began making their way down the street with their weapon drawn. A bystander could be seen walking next to the home, seemingly unaware that they were in the middle of an ongoing crime scene. Officers could be heard telling the man to get out of the street as he quickly ran to get away from the house.

APD’s focus was then shifted back towards the suspect, who had positioned himself in between a truck and van in the driveway.

Police break down scene

What they're saying:

"They attempted to give him instructions on what to do next. However, that individual refused to comply with officers' commands," said APD Corporal Jose Mendez in a press briefing on Wednesday.

The suspect could then be seen making his way out of the driveway. It was at the time the suspect shot himself, letting out yell before falling to the ground.

"The way he was positioned in the driveway between two vehicles, I believe, played a big part because that firearm was concealed at the time that the officers were making contact with him. So, the officers weren't able to see that firearm. But when they did hear it and see the subject go down, they determined that it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," said Corporal Mendez.

For a short time, the suspect was still moving as he lay on the pavement. "If you reach for the gun, you will be shot. Do not move, we do not want to hurt you," one officer could be heard yelling off camera.

Eventually, the other two men seen talking to the suspect earlier exited the house. They made their way towards law enforcement, who ordered them to approach with their hands up.

A few moments later, law enforcement could be seen crossing the street to approach the suspect. More commands were given to him to stop moving, as a group of officers made their way up to him before engaging in medical assistance. Once the scene was deemed safe, fire trucks swarmed to the scene to help extinguish the fire which had been set inside the home. The suspect could be seen being loaded into an ambulance, where he was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery. As of Friday afternoon, APD says he remains in stable but critical condition. His identity remains unknown, but he is described as a white male in his sixties. APD says if he survives, he will be held on a medical evaluation and charges are pending.

APD also claims that the suspect was responsible for a separate house fire which was set earlier that same day in Travis County. Corporal Mendez confirmed that the other home also belonged to the suspect’s family. That fire investigation is currently being handled by the Travis County Fire Marshall.