One person was killed after shots were fired Saturday night at a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas, local police said.
Dramatic footage uploaded to a Facebook Live feed showed the moment when shots split the night air in the Texas capital as some 100 protesters marched and chanted, “Fists up! Fight back!”
Austin police confirmed on their Twitter feed reports of a shooting just after 10 p.m. in the area of Congress and 4th Street in downtown. Soon after they said they were starting homicide investigations.
Police did not immediately link the shooting with the events in the live stream.
Initial reports indicate the suspect was carrying a rifle and shot at the victim, who was in his car, police told a briefing. The suspect has been detained, they said.
A witness at the scene named Julian told KUT’s Mose Buchele the vehicle almost came into contact with a group or protesters before the shooting started.
“As we’re walking down passing Fourth Street, a blue car just come swerving out into the middle of the street almost runs over a bunch of protesters and everybody around starts like smacking the car trying to get him to slow down,” the witness said.
“He pulls down his window and he fires three shots into the guy. From point-blank. No words no nothing. And then rolls up his window and zooms off.”