Texas Man Killed After Firing At Government Buildings

By Scott Neuman

Published November 28, 2014 at 11:27 AM CST

Police tape marks off the scene after authorities apparently shot and killed a man who they say opened fire on the Mexican Consulate, police headquarters and other downtown buildings early Friday.

Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET

A gunman who fired more than 100 rounds into government buildings in Austin, Texas, and tried to set fire to the Mexican consulate early this morning is dead.

Kate McGee reports for member station KUT that initially officers thought the man might also be wearing an explosive vest, but after a bomb squad examined the body, determined that he was not.

Police said the first shots were fired at around 2:22 a.m. Friday by a white man in his 50s. He shot at the Mexican consulate, the United States Federal Courthouse and the Austin Police Department headquarters, according to KUT.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the suspect is an Austin resident with a criminal history, but he said he could only speculate about the suspect's motives, given his targets.

"This is all speculation, but when you look at the national debate about immigration, that certainly comes to mind," said Acevedo at a news briefing. "I would venture based on my training and experience, that the political rhetoric might have fed into some of this. But that's speculation on my part. But I'm willing to speculate because that's what people want to know."

Acevedo said at least 100 rounds were fired. He said the fire at the consulate was extinguished and that no one but the gunman had been injured in the shooting.

The Associated Press says that investigators were trying to determine a motive.

The AP notes: "The governor's mansion is a few blocks away from the police station; it's not known whether Gov. Rick Perry was there at the time."