13 People Shot on Austin’s 6th Street — Two Critical

A manhunt is underway in Austin, Texas, for a gunman suspected of shooting 13 people on the city’s infamous 6th Street early Saturday morning. The shooting comes amid defunding police actions by the city council and an uptick in violent crime.

Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon told reporters the shooting took place in the 400 block of East 6th Street, a well-known entertainment district in the Capital City. The chief said the gunman allegedly shot and wounded at least 13 people, KXAN reported.

Chacon reported that 11 people received treatment at one hospital. Another victim went to another emergency room. Two of the shooting victims are reported to be in critical condition.

“The Texas Department of Public Safety is working closely with Austin Police to respond to this shooting and ensure that the perpetrators are captured and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Texas Governor Greg Abbot said in a statement provided to Breitbart Texas. “Thank you to APD and first responders for quickly responding to the scene and saving lives. Cecilia and I ask our fellow Texans to join us in prayer for those who were injured.”

Chacon said his officers are attempting to locate the suspected shooter described as a “skinny” black male with locs-style hair. No motive has been released at this time.

Video and photos tweeted from the scene shows the chaos following the shooting as people on the street and first responders attempt to provide first-aid to the shooting victims.

A statement from the Austin Police Department states:

The suspect(s) remains at-large. It is unknown if there is one, or multiple suspects involved. There is one suspect described as a black male, with dread locks, wearing a black shirt and a skinny build. The area will be closed for an extended amount of time to process the crime scene. Investigators are collecting and reviewing camera footage and surveillance video.

The shooting follows massive cuts in police funding by the Austin City Council. The council cut $150 million from the police budget prompting a strong response from Governor Abbott, Breitbart Texas reported.

“Some cities are more focused on political agendas than public safety,” Governor Abbott said at the time. “Austin’s decision puts the brave men and women of the Austin Police Department and their families at greater risk, and paves the way for lawlessness.”

Governor Abbott backed a bill in the Texas Legislature designed to punish cities that defund police. The governor signed the bill into law on June 1, the Texas Tribune reported.

Abbott stated:

Texas has been—and always will be—a law-and-order state. Defunding law enforcement invites crime and chaos into communities, and it risks the lives and livelihoods of innocent people. We will not let Texas cities follow the lead of cities like Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis by defunding the police.

Here in Texas, we don’t demonize or defund our law enforcement officers—we support them. And that’s exactly what I will do when I sign the legislature’s bill to defend our law enforcement from crazy liberal attempts to defund them and leave our communities unprotected.