Between Saturday and Sunday, Austin police counted up to ten shootings across South Austin, including two at fire stations, before two suspects were in custody and a third remained at large. By Monday, a school district had canceled classes and rerouted buses. Also by Monday, the mayor and police chief were making a public case for license plate readers.
Side A
Ten Attacks, a Shelter-in-Place, and a School District That Canceled Classes
Austin police linked up to ten shootings across South Austin to a small group of suspects over a single weekend, injuring as many as four people. Two of the attacks targeted Austin Fire stations. Police issued an emergency shelter-in-place alert for a defined area while a third suspect remained at large. Manor ISD canceled classes at Presidential Meadows Elementary School and suspended several bus routes on Monday as the search continued. All three suspects were eventually taken into custody.
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The Mayor and Police Chief's First Public Argument: License Plate Readers
As the third suspect search was wrapping up, Austin's mayor and APD chief held a public conversation focused on license plate reader technology. Both said the cameras could have helped in the response to the weekend shootings. The remarks came before the investigative record on the attacks had closed. The license plate reader question is an active debate at Austin City Hall.
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