A former sheriff’s deputy in Texas was being sought after
authorities said he fatally shot three people in Austin on Sunday.
Joseph Chacon, the interim chief of the
Austin Police Department, said authorities responded to a call about a possible shooting or
stabbing in northwest Austin shortly before noon local time Sunday.
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When officers arrived at the scene, near an upscale shopping
center called the Arboretum, they found three people — two women and one man —
with gunshot wounds, Chacon said. The victims, all of whom were pronounced dead
at the scene, were not immediately identified.
Mayor Steve Adler of Austin said on Twitter that the
shooting happened at an apartment complex called Arboretum Oaks.
Authorities identified the gunman as Stephen Nicholas
Broderick, 41. Chacon said Sunday afternoon that it was his “understanding”
that Broderick “at one time” worked as a sheriff’s deputy in Travis County,
which includes Austin. He did not elaborate.
A man with Broderick’s name and
date of birth had been employed at the sheriff’s office in Travis County until
June 2020, when he was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child,
according to Kristen Dark, a spokeswoman for the office. The employee, who
worked as a detective on property crimes, resigned after his arrest, she said.
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said in a statement
“I’m shocked and saddened by this horrific news” and that her office is ready
to assist in the investigation and help the victims' families.
Citing court records,
The Austin-American Statesman reported
that Broderick’s wife filed for a protective order and for divorce shortly
after his arrest.
“If you see him, he is considered armed and dangerous at
this point,” Chacon said Sunday. “We still do not have this scene completely
under control. Obviously, this is a tragedy. We have people who have lost their
lives out here.”
Chacon said that investigators believed that the gunman knew
the people who were shot.
“Our preliminary investigation indicates that he did know
the victims and that it was certainly targeted to them,” Chacon said. “However,
I would say that the danger still remains high at this point, and we want to
make sure that people understand that part.”
A shelter-in-place order that was issued for residents and
businesses in the area of the shooting was lifted Sunday afternoon, but Chacon
said people in the area should be vigilant and look out for the gunman, who he
said was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses and a baseball
cap.
“We are going to continue to look for this individual
because he continues to pose a threat to this community,” Chacon said. Earlier,
the chief had said the gunman “might possibly take a hostage and be himself
sheltered somewhere waiting for us to leave.”
Andy Brown, who, as the Travis County judge is the county’s
chief executive, called on state lawmakers in Texas to work to prevent
shootings like the one in Austin on Sunday.
“This is a tragedy we endure too often,” Brown said in an
interview. “Our legislators have to come together to find common ground to
prevent mass shootings like this.”
“My heart is broken today,” he added. “We need to do
better.”
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