Crime
Victim identified in deadly shooting and kidnapping in South Lubbock, suspect arrested
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Lubbock Police Department (LPD) is set to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to provide further details regarding a tragic incident involving a fatal shooting and kidnapping that occurred late Monday night in South Lubbock.
The incident prompted a multi-county pursuit that ended with the suspect’s arrest in Garza County.
According to LPD, officers were dispatched at approximately 10:43 p.m. on Monday, April 8, to the 3800 block of 130th Street following reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a male victim, identified as Nathan Griggs, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Authorities said that following the shooting, the suspect abducted a woman and a child from the apartment complex and fled the area.
In a statement released early Tuesday morning, LPD confirmed the suspect had been apprehended in Garza County and that the woman and child had been located and were safely in the custody of law enforcement.
LPD stated that shortly after the incident, the suspect led officers from multiple law enforcement agencies on a high-speed pursuit through several counties.
The Crosby County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) reported that it received notification that the suspect’s vehicle was traveling through the town of Ralls. Deputies quickly joined the chase, which ultimately spanned more than 119 miles across West Texas.
The pursuit came to an end in the city of Post when the suspect crashed his vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended by deputies with the Garza County Sheriff’s Office.
The kidnapped woman and child were discovered in the vehicle and did not appear to be physically harmed.
“By God’s grace, no one was injured in this pursuit or the subsequent crash,” the Crosby County Sheriff’s Office stated in a social media post following the arrest.
As of Tuesday morning, the identities of the suspect, victim, and kidnapped individuals had not been released pending notification of family and further investigation.
Lubbock police officials say additional information, including potential charges, will be shared during the scheduled press conference.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Lubbock Police Department.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.