Austin Police Kill Gunman After Shots Fired at 'Multiple Buildings' (update)

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Fri Nov 28, 2014, 09:22 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: NBC News

BY ALASTAIR JAMIESON, ALEXANDER SMITH AND JASON CUMMING

A gunman was fatally shot by police after opening fire at "multiple buildings" in downtown Austin, officials in the Texas capital said early Friday. The city's police headquarters was among the buildings targeted.

NBC station KXAN reported that a bomb-disposal robot was examining a possible device near the police HQ, which was evacuated.

Jesse Van Wallene, 29, told NBC News he found himself around 15 feet away from the shooter when he stopped at a red light and spotted him with a "large gun in his hand."

"He was in full gear so he didn't seem like a civilian, but there was no writing on any of the equipment," the restaurant server said. "It seemed like he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and he was wearing a helmet with a clear visor over his face."

FULL story and video at link.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/austin-police-kill-gunman-after-shots-fired-multiple-buildings-n257626

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Original story: Source: NBC News

Police shot a suspect after "multiple buildings" were fired on in downtown Austin, authorities in the Texas capital said early Friday. The city's police headquarters was also evacuated.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Heard this early this morning

on a local CBS affiliate news radio station that broke in with an ABC breaking. Took quite awhile for other national news outlets to pick it up.

This article mentions the shooter firing at the Mexican Embassy as one of the targets. Seems self-explanatory if this is true.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Updated headline: Austin Police Kill Suspect After Shots Fired at 'Multiple Buildings'

Tweet: "Police say the shooter targeted three buildings: @Austin_Police headquarters, the Mexican consulate and the federal courthouse."

Jesse Van Wallene, 29, told NBC News he found himself around 15 feet away from the shooter when he stopped at a red light and spotted him with a "large gun in his hand."

"He was in full gear so he didn't seem like a civilian, but there was no writing on any of the equipment," the restaurant server said. "It seemed like he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and he was wearing a helmet with a clear visor over his face."

Van Wallene said the gunman started shooting at a building opposite the police headquarters. "He was firing in bursts of about five shots," he recalled. "He didn't even seem to acknowledge we were there, he just seemed very focused on firing at the building, which had no lights on inside. The girl in my car said, 'Go, let's get out of here.' We ran the red light."

[Omaha Steve]

3. Thank you....

For reminding me to do an update.

I've been 1/2 asleep off and on all night.

OS

[Archae]

4. "Large gun"

Like these...

[Lurks Often]

5. Perhaps one of the Mexican cartels?

Police station + Federal courthouse + Mexican consulate = Either an extreme far right white supremacist group or Mexican cartel. I'm leaning toward someone affiliated to one of the Mexican cartels angry that the US Marshal Service is apparently helping the Mexican Marines do drug raids, although this is being denied by US officials.

I'm inclined to rule out a far right white supremacist, IED vests have not been something they are known for and the FBI has done a pretty good job of making sure that they haven't been successful in planning any attacks in some time.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. This seems more like your normal crazed American than a Mexican cartel guy.

But we shall see.

[Lurks Often]

8. "Normal crazed Americans" tend not to wear IED vests

Edit: Still not buying the "Normal crazed American", but since the dead suspect was a white male in his 50's, it makes the Mexican cartel seem less likely.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. "No IEDS were found on the suspect or in the vehicle, police said."

He was wearing a vest. No IEDs in it.

[Lurks Often]

10. Ok, guess I didn't read the latest update

the last update I had received was still reporting a suspected IED vest.

More sloppy reporting by reporters eager to be the first with the latest update.

[Cosmocat]

11. Dude

if this was "Mexican cartel" someone would be very dead in a very graphic way.

These guys are no joke, they don't run around 2 in the morning shooting up buildings.

They take their time and torture someone is a medieval manner and you find the body in some memorable way.

[Lurks Often]

12. It was a reasonable conclusion based on the limited information

available at the time of my original post.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

14. He was a white middle aged male.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/28/gunman-killed-targeted-austin-buildings/19607141/

AUSTIN, Texas — A white, middle-aged gunman, in what appears to be a politically motivated anti-government attack linked to immigration, fired more than a hundred rounds at buildings in downtown Austin early Friday and tried to set fire to the Mexican consulate before he died of a gunshot wound.

The unidentified suspect was described as white male in his 50s with a criminal record.

Police were investigating whether the gunman was killed by a police officer who fired at him in front of police headquarters or died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A police sergeant putting away police horses for the night shot the suspect with one hand while holding two horses by the reins in the other, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters. (more at link)

[Lurks Often]

15. Which wasn't mentioned in the OP's link at the time of my post

[Sunlei]

6. The USA has a suicide epidemic.

[christx30]

13. Sorry that a guy died,

but glad no one else was hurt. At least with this shooting, there isn't going to be any kind of controversy. I just wish they would label this 50 year old white guy as a terrorist. Because that's what he is. No doubt about it. He was trying to burn down the mexican consolate. He had an IED.

[PeoViejo]

16. This is an IED

So, let's maintain the perspective, please.

[Archae]

18. No doubt like that Georgia "sovereign citizen."

The one who set off smoke bombs and ended up several ounces of lead heavier.