Police said the weekend attacks injured four people and involved stolen cars, stolen guns and gunfire at homes and fire stations.
AUSTIN, TX — Three juveniles were in custody Monday after a weekend shooting spree across Austin left four people injured, including one who was critically wounded, and prompted a large police response across the city.
Austin police said the shootings appeared random and stretched from Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. The attacks hit South and East Austin and included gunfire at pedestrians, homes, apartment buildings and two fire stations. Police Chief Lisa Davis said investigators had not found a clear motive. The case also includes stolen vehicles and robberies, raising the stakes for a citywide investigation that moved quickly from scattered 911 calls to a coordinated search for teen suspects.
The first two suspects, ages 15 and 17, were taken into custody Sunday after police linked them to a string of shootings and vehicle thefts, officials said. A third juvenile was later detained after a search that extended beyond Austin into Manor, a city northeast of the capital. Davis said the group moved around in stolen vehicles and fired in several parts of the city. “These are dangerous kids out causing havoc in the city,” Davis said at a Sunday news conference. Mayor Kirk Watson said the attacks appeared to have no specific target, calling the violence random and senseless.
Authorities said at least 10 shootings were under investigation, while local police later described 12 separate shooting scenes tied to the case. Four people were hurt. One victim was critically wounded but later described as stable, and three others had injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Officials said shots struck two Austin Fire Department stations, but no firefighters were injured. Fire officials said station doors were secured after the attacks while crews continued responding to emergency calls. Investigators also said several homes, apartment buildings and vehicles were struck by gunfire.
The timeline began Saturday afternoon and continued into Sunday morning, when police received multiple reports from different neighborhoods. Officials said the suspects used at least four stolen vehicles during the spree. One of the teens was accused of stealing the gun used in the shootings, and the other had already been wanted in a separate case involving a stolen firearm. Police said the suspects were not immediately identified because they are juveniles. It remained unclear Monday how the teens knew each other, who fired during each attack and whether any adults were involved.
The violence led Austin officials to issue a shelter-in-place order Sunday for a large area of South Austin while officers searched for suspects. Police, SWAT officers, air units and other agencies joined the response. The order was lifted after two juveniles were detained, though officers continued searching for the third suspect. That search ended later Sunday when the third juvenile was taken into custody near Manor after a vehicle stop and a foot chase, officials said. Police said there was no ongoing public threat after the arrests, but the investigation remained active.
The shootings rattled residents in neighborhoods where people said they heard sudden gunfire with no warning. Some victims were outside when they were struck, including a person who had been walking a dog, according to local accounts cited by officials. Other people reported damage to buildings and vehicles. Davis said investigators were working through ballistics, stolen-car reports, witness statements and surveillance video to connect the scenes. The chief said police were treating each shooting as part of one broader crime pattern unless evidence showed otherwise.
The case now moves through the juvenile justice system. Police said the suspects could face charges tied to aggravated assault, deadly conduct, robbery, vehicle theft and firearms offenses, though final charging decisions will depend on prosecutors and the evidence from each scene. Because the suspects are minors, many court records and hearings may be closed or limited. Investigators were still reviewing whether more charges would be filed as they process recovered vehicles, weapons evidence and video from homes, businesses and traffic cameras.
City officials said the immediate danger had passed by Monday, but police were still asking investigators to finish linking the shooting scenes and stolen vehicles. The next major step is a charging review by juvenile authorities as detectives complete reports on the weekend spree.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.