Crime
Three victims killed in Austin Target shooting identified
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Authorities have released harrowing new details about a violent shooting rampage in north Austin that left three people dead, including a grandfather and his 4-year-old granddaughter, and one other person injured.
Police say the suspect, 32-year-old Ethan Blaine Nieneker, was arrested Monday afternoon following a chaotic series of shootings, carjackings, assaults, and erratic behavior that ended with him being subdued by officers using a Taser.
The victims have been identified as Héctor Leopoldo Martínez Machuca, 24, a Target employee; Adam Chow, 65; and his young granddaughter Astrid Fung.
Authorities allege that during the attack, Nieneker forced the little girl to watch him fatally shoot her grandfather before also killing her.
Chow’s wife was injured but survived.
According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, the violence began at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Monday in the parking lot of the Target store at 8601 Research Boulevard.
Nieneker allegedly shot Machuca as the employee was retrieving shopping carts. Moments later, he fired at a black Jeep attempting to flee before turning his weapon on Chow’s gray Toyota 4Runner.
Police say Chow was shot in the driver’s seat before Nieneker fired into the back seat, striking his granddaughter.
Chow’s wife tried to carry the injured child to safety, but Nieneker allegedly pushed both of them out of the vehicle, took control of the SUV, and sped away.
At around 2:20 p.m., Nieneker approached a water truck stopped along the Mopac Expressway, allegedly assaulted its driver, and attempted to steal the vehicle.
Unable to operate it, he reportedly chased the driver away at gunpoint before returning to the Toyota.
Five minutes later, Nieneker crashed into a Volkswagen and an Infiniti SUV, then allegedly attacked the Volkswagen driver and stole their vehicle.
He drove off, attempted to carjack a self-driving Waymo vehicle, failed, and returned to the stolen Volkswagen.
The suspect’s rampage reportedly continued with property damage. A resident — identified as an acquaintance of Nieneker — claimed a brick was thrown through their window on La Casa Drive.
By 2:58 p.m., witnesses reported seeing Nieneker walking naked through a backyard in the same neighborhood. He then ran into a portable toilet before fleeing again.
Police confronted him minutes later, ordering him to surrender. When he refused, officers deployed Tasers and took him into custody at approximately 3:06 p.m.
Chief Davis confirmed that Nieneker has a documented history of mental illness and an extensive criminal record dating back to 2011.
Prior arrests include assaulting a family member, driving while intoxicated (twice), criminal mischief, and violating a protective order.
Officers arrived at the Target parking lot within four minutes of the initial 911 call. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third died at a local hospital.
A surviving victim, Chow’s wife, is receiving medical treatment.
Target issued a public statement expressing grief over the tragedy:
“We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin, and all those impacted by this tragedy. We are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly at the scene and will continue providing support and grief counseling to our team members.”
The investigation remains active, and police have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact Austin Police Department Homicide Detectives or submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.