Texas shooter fired randomly, killing grandfather, 4-year-old granddaughter and Target worker, police say

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By Kelly McCleary, Hanna Park, Taylor Romine, Chris Boyette, Michelle Watson, CNN

(CNN) — A man who fatally shot three people in a Target parking lot in Austin, Texas on Monday unleashed an hour of chaos and fear as the suspect carjacked multiple vehicles, tried to steal a water truck and vandalized a home before being captured – naked and holding a Bible, officials said.

The gunfire – on a busy afternoon when many shoppers were making back-to-school purchases – killed a Target employee, a grandfather and his 4-year-old granddaughter, the Austin Police Department said.

“It was a completely random choosing of the victims,” Austin Police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said at a news conference Tuesday.

The incident is part of a spate of deadly gun violence in the US at places normally considered safe – including a Montana bar, the offices of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and an office building in New York City.

The suspect, 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker, is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree felony murder, police said. “Additional charges are pending related to assaults, vehicle thefts and property damage,” Sexton said.

It is unclear if Nieneker has made a court appearance or obtained an attorney. A motive for the shooting hasn’t been determined, officials said.

Nieneker had “serious issues,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at the news conference. “There were some serious failures here … where you’re looking at potentially some mental illness there.”

The incident began shortly before 2:15 p.m. when Nieneker “randomly attacked” Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, shooting and killing him as he collected carts, police said.

Nieneker then ran to a Jeep Cherokee and began firing as it drove away, police said. Nieneker next turned his gun toward a gray Toyota 4-Runner, shooting and killing 65-year-old Adam Chow and Chow’s 4-year-old granddaughter, who was in the backseat, a police statement said. Chow’s wife, who was also in the car sustained minor injuries.

The suspect took Chow’s 4-Runner and fled the parking lot. Police were able to track his movements through a series of 911 calls during the incidents that followed, Davis said.

One of those calls came from Chris Ferran who said he saw an SUV speed past him on the highway, smash into two vehicles and keep going, the Associated Press reported.

“I’m not letting anybody get away with this, so I chased him down and called 911,” Ferran told AP.

Around 2:20 p.m. Nieneker came upon a parked water truck, assaulted the driver and attempted to steal the vehicle, police said. When he was unable to get the truck started, Nieneker chased a man while holding a pistol before jumping back into the stolen 4-Runner and driving away, according to investigators.

Ferran said he started taking a video when he saw the man who’d sped past him on the highway assault the water truck driver, but quickly backed away when he saw the man had a gun, the AP reported.

About five minutes later, police said they received calls about a multi-vehicle crash involving the 4-Runner. Nieneker then abandoned the damaged SUV and carjacked a Volkswagen and sped away, police said.

The suspect next tried to break into a Waymo self-driving vehicle before throwing a brick through a window at the home of an acquaintance from Bible study, police said.

Around 2:58 p.m. officers responded to a call about a naked man walking through the backyard of a home. Nieneker had stripped off his clothes in a nearby “porta potty” and, when confronted by officers, ignored their commands, police said.

He was then tased and taken into custody at 3:06 p.m. Nieneker was holding a Bible and told officers “he was Jesus,” officials said.

The firearm used in the attack was “acquired through family,” Sexton said Tuesday.

Nieneker had prior criminal offenses, including assault causing bodily injury to a family member, driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, the police chief said.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called the shooting “a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence.”

“This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families,” he said in a post on X.

Target said in a statement it is “devastated by the violence” at the Austin store and is working with law enforcement on the investigation.

Lonnie Lee, 22, had visited the Target with her sister and was shocked to see the parking lot was cordoned off and filled with police, she told the Associated Press.

“We got really, really lucky,” Lee said. “And some people didn’t.”

At a Jiffy Lube shop that shares its parking lot with the Target, employees locked the doors as soon as they became aware of the shooting. Paul Smith, an employee at the oil-change store, saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic, he told the AP.

“I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before,” Smith said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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