‘Major confusion’ stems from APD alerts on police shooting near Zilker Park

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As a police shooting unfolded – beginning with gunfire near Zilker Park – the Austin Police Department sent out an alert meant to tell people in the neighborhood to shelter in place.

Police said a man is in custody after an APD officer and a woman were shot in the incident near Azie Morton Road early Wednesday morning.

About an hour later, around 6:30 a.m., another alert went out reading “shelter in place has been lifted and you are clear to resume your normal daily activities.” But police didn’t find the suspect until around 8 a.m., when the department said a homeowner shot the suspect, who survived, on his property.

Police said the initial shooting happened after officers found a stolen vehicle during curfew checks in the area. As an officer worked on his report on the matter, APD Chief Lisa Davis said a man and woman started to approach the officer, and the man ultimately pulled out a gun and fired shots, striking the woman he was with as well as the officer. The officer is stable, and the woman who was shot was seriously injured.

“I don’t think it’s looking positive for her,” Davis said during a media briefing Wednesday.

‘The suspect was right here on the sidewalk next to the school,’ PTA president says

The suspect – who police have not yet named – was taken into custody near Barton Hills Elementary School.

Parent and PTA President Beckey Jeanes said the morning was full of mixed messages from the district, “leaving parents to kind of have to make decisions for themselves.”

Below is an image of the text alert APD sent out, as well as an ‘X’ post from the department clarifying the shelter-in-place was not lifted.

“Now listen, I have serious concerns about why that happened myself,” Chief Davis said. “And I know there’s questions about that, and I will get to the bottom about why that happened and ensure that there’s processes put in place so that doesn’t happen again.”

In a letter sent to parents, the Austin Independent School District said it based its decision not to cancel school on the fact that APD sent out the alert about the shelter-in-place order being lifted.

“However, around 7 a.m., we learned the message was sent by error and the shelter-in-place was still in effect,” the district letter reads. “At this point, students were already on buses on the way to campuses and doors opened at 7:15 a.m. To keep students safe, we escorted students to their classrooms where they remained in a Secure until receiving further guidance from the police.”

Jeanes believes allowing the drop-off process to take place Wednesday morning put students, parents and staff in danger.

“The suspect was right here on the sidewalk next to the school,” she said, citing reports from parents and staff. “I am so so thankful it didn’t turn out worse.”