Austin police search for former sheriff's deputy after shooting that left 3 dead

Orion Rummler
·2 min read

Law enforcement were searching for a former sheriff's deputy Sunday night, after three adults were fatally shot in the Great Hills Trail neighborhood of Austin, Texas, police said.

The latest: Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at an evening news conference residents no longer needed to shelter in place but should "remain vigilant," as officers searched for suspect Stephen Broderick, 41, following Sunday morning's shooting that killed a Hispanic woman and two Black men.

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  • Broderick is a former deputy with the Travis County sheriff's office in Austin.

  • Austin Police Department tweeted that the incident appeared to be an isolated "domestic situation."

The big picture: Officers responded to a 911 call at 11:42 a.m., Chacon said. After the first officer was on the scene at 11:46 a.m., residents were advised to shelter in place. The victims died from their injuries shortly after they were shot.

  • Chacon had advised residents earlier in the afternoon to shelter in place as officers were concerned that the suspect "might possibly take a hostage and be himself sheltered somewhere waiting for us to leave.

  • He said at the evening news conference that the victims "were all known to this suspect" and police did not believe the suspect was "out there targeting random people to shoot.

  • "That does not mean he is not dangerous," Chacon added.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more details, including on the suspect and police's revised warning to residents.

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