‘We fled right after we heard the gunshots’: Witnesses recall moments of deadly north Austin shooting

AUSTIN (KXAN) — During the chaotic moments after a shooting in the parking lot of a north Austin Target left three people dead, witnesses described the aftermath as “total chaos.”

The Austin Police Department (APD) arrested Ethan Nieneker, 32, in connection with the incident. APD said Nieneker was involved in several violent offenses, which consists of killing three people and destroying multiple vehicles within the span of less than an hour.

APD identified the deceased victims as Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24, and Adam Chow, 66. The deceased child was not named by APD but was Chow’s four-year-old granddaughter.

Leonard Moore and Geogory Gastorena came out of town for some construction work near the Target. They were in the parking lot when the incident had occurred.

“We were just sitting there debating on going into the store, you know, and we heard gunshots and people running for their lives,” Moore said.

Following the initial moments of the incident, they said they fled the scene for their safety.

“We probably wouldn’t have survived if we would have walked in 5-10 minutes earlier,” Moore said.

“I’m just glad me and my coworkers are safe. We can go home after this job and see our families,” Gastorena said.

As grateful as they are to still be alive, they are sadden for those who lost their lives.

“My heart goes out to the people that were lost that day,” Gastorena said. “It’s a tragedy that you can’t go out, go shopping for your family [for] school supplies. Their lives were ended real short in the blink of an eye.”