Reported by Austin American-Statesman, multiple shootings occurred and left at least five people injured in the center of annual SXSW Conference and Festivals at Auditorium Shores on March 16 and 17 in Austin, Texas. The source from Brooklyn Vegan that Austin Police Chief Brian Manley believed the violence was “unacceptable” and it was a “violent weekend in Austin.”
This year, SXSW returned back Austin, bringing its largest lineup with over 240 artists. But this is not the first time that Austin was declared unsafe. Last year, man was arrested for bomb threat at SXSW, and Bud Light Roots Jam was canceled due to a security concern. This year, Deadline reported, festival goers were shocked by the shooting where took place near E 6th St and San Jacinto:
There was loud pop that I heard. There was a pause of a second or two, then the people in the crowd started shouting ‘a shooting,’ and everybody started running.”
Paramedics responded and at least one person suffered a gunshot wound, Carey said. Another person was seen being taken away in handcuffs, as the photo above shows. That arrest came from extremely quick intervention by the Austin Police Department, another source told Deadline. “They were on the guy within a minute,” the source noted of police action in the highly patrolled neighborhood.
The Austin Police Department investigated the shootings and tweeted that:
The shooting occurred in the core of entertainment district with a couple of bars and clubs, where annually host SXSW showcases and events. Two shootings happened on Saturday night and followed three different shootings occurred on early Sunday morning.
San Antonio Express-News reported the chaotic scene of early Sunday morning:
There was approximately 300 people running in all direction.
According to reports, police were called about 2:45 a.m. when a large boisterous crowd at a Wendy’s off Interstate 35 and 7th Street began to get out of control as several people began jumping on a vehicle. Police said the individuals jumping on the vehicle were reportedly holding firearms.
The crowd began to disperse with individuals running to a nearby service station as officers arrived. Police then say they heard gunshots and later discovered three injured people in the parking lot of a Shell gas station.
The victims were taken to an Austin hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Leave a Comment