A 25-year-old man has died of injuries he suffered during a mass shooting early Saturday in the heart of the East Sixth Street entertainment district, Austin Police said.
Police have arrested one suspect and are seeking a second individual with help from DPS, the FBI, ATF and other law enforcement agencies. APD confirmed to KUT that the person in custody is a juvenile.
Douglas John Kantor was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries following the shooting. He was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at 12:01, APD said in a news release.
At least 13 others were wounded in the shooting.
People started calling 911 around 1:24 a.m. Saturday to report shots fired in a crowded area on the 400 block of East Sixth Street near Trinity Street. The area is heavily patrolled by police officers on weekend nights, especially as crowds have returned to pre-pandemic sizes.
Within minutes, police officers applied tourniquets and chest seals on gunshot victims. Panicked bystanders fled, and the large crowds slowed ambulances trying to access the scene. Some patients were transported to the hospital in police patrol vehicles, according to police accounts and radio dispatch recordings.
"This does appear to be an isolated incident between two parties," interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at a media briefing Saturday. "That's why I say that most of the victims were innocent bystanders, but we're still sorting out all of the victims to see what they're involvement is in this case."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I envision waking up to find that a mass shooting had taken place on our own Sixth Street in the heart of the entertainment district," said Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo whose district includes the area where the shooting took place. "It is horrifying and shocking."
Austin police are asking anyone with information or video of the incident to call 9-1-1 or 512-974-TIPS.
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