An Austin man who opened fire on at least three buildings in the Texas city has died from gunfire outside Austin Police Headquarters, his final target. It is not yet confirmed if the man died from his own hand, or was shot by a law enforcement officer.
Gunfire erupted in the Texas capital, at 2:22 a.m, before the Sun rose, on November 28.
"Many, many rounds were fired in downtown Austin," Art Acevedo, police chief in the city of 885,000 people told the press in the hours following the attack.
The suspected gunman was described by police as 50 years old, with a past criminal record, although authorities have not yet released his name. At the time his body was examined by police officers, the gunman was found to be wearing a vest. Law enforcement immediately called in a bomb squad, to determine if the garment may have held explosives. Reports of cylinders in the gunman's van led to suspicions the vehicle might have been packed with improvised explosive devices (IED's). A search of the car did not turn up any evidence of explosives.
Although not yet confirmed, some early reports suggest the gunman may have been politically-motivated, driven by anger against immigration reform. The first target of his wrath was the Mexican Consulate in the city. While attacking the building, the unnamed male threw a propane cylinder - like those used in camping - toward the structure. The small fire caused by the improvised weapon was quickly extinguished before it caused any serious damage. The assailant later targeted a nearby federal courthouse. Early investigation reveals around 100 rounds of ammunition were fired during the short-lived, yet vicious, onslaught, which may have been driven by recent changes to immigration policy.
"When you look at the national debate right now about immigration, that... comes to mind. Sometimes our political discourse becomes very heated and sometimes very angry," Acevedo speculated to the press.
An officer with 15 years of experience on the force was tending horses when he observed the gunman opening fire on police headquarters. Holding onto two horses with one hand, the law enforcement officer returned fire, holding his weapon with the opposite hand.
After the assailant was struck, officers approached the vehicle housing the suspect. Spying cylinders in the car, police attempted to move the gunman, for his own safety. That is when officers found the vest on the man, and withdrew, waiting for a bomb squad to arrive. A "critical incident" was declared in the city, barring traffic from downtown Austin and closing a local highway. The assailant died at the scene.
Apart from the deceased gunman, no one was injured during the 10-minute long rampage.
