A gunman unleashed terror in the parking lot of a Target store in Austin, Texas, on Monday, fatally shooting two adults and a child before leading police on a chaotic car chase across the city, authorities reported. The suspect, a man in his 30s with a history of mental health issues, was subdued with a Taser and arrested in south Austin, roughly 30 km from the scene, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.

The attack unfolded around 2:15 pm, with officers arriving to find three victims shot in the Target parking lot. One victim is believed to have been the owner of a car stolen by the gunman, who fled, crashed the vehicle, and then stole another from a nearby dealership, Davis explained at a press conference. Two victims—an adult and a child—were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third adult succumbed to injuries at a hospital. A fourth person received treatment for a minor, non-traumatic issue, per Austin-Travis County EMS.

“This is a heartbreaking day for Austin,” Davis said, extending condolences to the victims’ families. Details about the victims or the gunman’s motive remain under investigation.

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The shooting, occurring during back-to-school shopping, left the community rattled. Lonnie Lee, 22, who had visited the Target hours earlier, returned to find the lot sealed off by police. “We got really lucky,” she said. “Some didn’t.”

Target expressed devastation, offering grief counseling to employees. “Our hearts are with the victims’ families, our Austin team, and everyone impacted,” the company stated.

Mayor Kirk Watson called the incident a “sickening, cowardly act of gun violence” on X, emphasizing support for the victims’ families. Nearby, employees at a Jiffy Lube sharing the parking lot locked doors as panicked shoppers fled. Worker Paul Smith, who had just left Target, witnessed the chaos unfold.

The tragedy follows a July 26 stabbing at a Michigan Walmart, where a suspect faces terrorism charges, underscoring a recent wave of retail violence.

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