Four people were injured in a shooting in Austin’s entertainment district as bars were closing, an occurrence that’s become increasingly common in the area.
The Austin Police Department (APD) responded rapidly and arrested a suspect. APD had about 150 officers in the area at the time the shooting occurred, seven times more than normal, on account of the South by Southwest (SXSW) activities.
The shooting took place at approximately 1:59 am in the 400 block of East 6th Street. The victims had minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
Detectives and crime scene analysts responded to process the scene. According to witness interviews, an altercation began between two groups of people which led to shots being fired in the crowd.
During the night, officers arrested 30 people, including 19 with handguns. It’s illegal to carry a handgun into a bar in Texas. In the past five days, 50 firearms were seized from the same area, and several were arrested for disorderly conduct or firearm offenses, according to the Austin Police Association.
