Austin Police Arrest Three Juveniles Aged 15 to 17 Linked to 12 Random Shootings That Wounded Four and Targeted Two Fire Stations

Austin police announced Monday that three juveniles between the ages of 15 and 17 have been arrested in connection with a 28-hour shooting spree across south Austin that began late Saturday, wounded four people, struck two fire stations, and forced a shelter-in-place order over neighborhoods on the city's south side. The arrests came after the suspects allegedly stole firearms from a sporting-goods store, hijacked at least two vehicles and opened fire on a fire truck while crews were standing nearby.

Twelve separate shooting incidents have been linked to the group so far, according to Police Chief Lisa Davis, who said the youngest suspect is 15 and the oldest 17. Four people were shot during the rampage, one of them critically but in stable condition by Monday afternoon. "We need to take seriously the fact that we've got two juveniles, 15 and 17, running around with guns creating this havoc," Davis told reporters at police headquarters, before later confirming a third teenage suspect had been taken into custody. The chief declined to release the names of the suspects, citing Texas juvenile records statutes.

The spree began shortly before midnight Saturday, when officers responded to multiple 911 calls describing rounds fired from a moving sedan along South Lamar Boulevard. Detectives say the same suspects moved through residential streets in the Riverside and Montopolis neighborhoods through the early morning hours, eventually circling back to attack Austin Fire Department Station 6 a second time after stealing additional ammunition. Surveillance video appears to show a fire truck struck by gunfire while firefighters were unloading equipment in the bay; no firefighters were hit.

Police said the suspects appeared to have selected targets at random, with no evidence of any motive linked to gang activity, extremism or personal disputes. Investigators recovered multiple stolen firearms during the arrests, including pistols and at least one rifle. Davis lifted the shelter-in-place order Monday afternoon after confirming all three suspects were in custody, but warned residents that detectives are continuing to review surveillance footage and 911 records to determine whether additional incidents are connected to the same group.

Mayor Kirk Watson and several members of the Austin City Council urged calm and pledged to expand the city's youth-violence intervention programs in the wake of the attacks. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office occasionally assists local prosecutors, said the suspects should "face the toughest possible charges available under state law." Austin has seen a steady decline in homicides since a 2021 peak but has wrestled with a sharp rise in juvenile gun crimes over the last 18 months. The Travis County District Attorney will decide in the coming days whether to seek certification to try any of the three teenagers as adults.