AUSTIN (KXAN) — Four people were injured and one person died in a northwest Austin shooting Saturday night, the Austin Police Department confirmed.
At 10:19 p.m., 911 received multiple reports about a shooting at a hookah lounge at 12636 Research Blvd.
Austin police arrived at 10:21 p.m. and found several victims with gunshot wounds. Police said they began life-saving measures until Austin-Travis County EMS arrived.
ATCEMS said five patients were involved in the shooting. One person was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:42 p.m. Two patients were taken to local trauma facilities with critical, life-threatening injuries.
The other two patients were taken to local trauma facilities, and neither of those patients had life-threatening injuries. One had serious injuries, according to ATCEMS.
Whitley Degollado works nearby and said she saw the aftermath of the shooting.
“They were just covered in blood. It was horrific,” Degollado said.
She said most of those at the lounge were teenagers that night.
“There was like an argument that got heated and escalated and then shots just started firing out,” Degollado said. “They were just like doubled over like hyperventilating and crying.”
An APD spokesperson said this was an isolated incident and believed there was no known threat to the public.
Police said there was no information about the suspect. APD said it was speaking with witnesses and hoped to have more details soon.
Degollado said it seems shootings are becoming more common in this part of Austin.
“North Austin is not like it used to be. I mean, this used to be like the suburbs when we first moved here,” she said.
APD said this was being investigated as Austin’s eighth homicide in 2023.