THIS
THIS MORNING'S SHOOTING IS PROMPTING HEIGHTENED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SEVERAL
ONGOING COMMUNITY
ISSUES IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING GUN
VIOLENCE AND
PUBLIC SAFETY.
PUBLIC SAFETY.
SENIOR
SENIOR REPORTER TONY PLOHETSKI JOINS US NOW TO HELP BREAK DOWN THOSE PIECES OF THIS --
TONY, WHAT APPROACHES ARE BEING
DISCUSSED
DISCUSSED WHEN IT COMES TO CURBING GUN VIOLENCE? JENNI/JAKE -- IT HAS.
AND WE HAVE HEARD CITY LEADERS
TALK ABOUT THAT
WHEN
WHEN IT
WHEN IT COMES TO CURBING GUN VIOLENCE? JENNI/JAKE -- IT HAS.
AND WE HAVE HEARD CITY LEADERS
TALK ABOUT THAT
TODAY -- THE NEED FOR APPROACHES
THAT ARE NOT
JUST BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT A
COMMUNITY-
WIDE APPROACH AS WELL.
OTHER OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE
DA AND COUNTY ATTORNEY, HAVE PUT NEW PROGRAMS
IN PLACE,
INCLUDING A REQUIREMENT THAT
PEOPLE CHARGED WITH
CERTAIN CRIMES SURRENDER THEIR
GUNS AS A CONDITION OF
THEIR BOND RELEASE.
AND JUST LAST MONTH, THE AUSTIN
CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A MEASURE
TO MORE QUICKLY PUT
PREVENTION EFFORTS IN PLACE --
TO RAMP THEM UP.
BUT
BUT JUST
BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF GUN CRIME CASES -- 689 GUN CRIMES IN 2015 COMPARED
TO 1,054 IN 2020 --
THAT'S
THAT'S A
THAT'S A 53 PERCENT INCREASE.
POLICE
POLICE STAFFING HAS BEEN A POINT OF DEBATE AS WELL.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THAT AS A CITY -- AND THAT'S PART OF THE ONGOING
DEBATE. HOW MANY OFFICERS DOES
AUSTIN NEED? WHAT TYPE OF
FUNCTIONS DO WE WANT THEM TO DO?
THAT'S AN UNRESOLVED QUESTION AT
THIS POINT -- BUT WHAT WE DO
KNOW IS THAT FOR AT LEAST THE
SHORT-TERM -- MEANING TONIGHT --
THAT CHIEF CHACON HAS ASKED THAT
DPS HELP SUPPLEMENT THE BOOTS ON
THE GROUND IN AUSTIN, AND
ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN.
ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN.
CRIMES
CRIMES INVOLVING MULTIPLE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY RARE IN AUSTIN,
BUT SEVERAL
CASES LIKE THIS MORNING'S MASS
SHOOTING HAVE BEEN
PARTICULARLY VIOLENT.
PARTICULARLY VIOLENT. 55 YEARS AGO, ON AUGUST FIRST,
1966, GUNMAN CHARLES WHITMAN
OPENED FIRE FROM THE OBSERVATION
DECK OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TOWER.
OVER THE NEXT 96 MINUTES HE SHOT
AND KILLED 15
PEOPLE, INCLUDING AN UNBORN
CHILD AND ONE FINAL
VICTIM WHO DIED FROM HIS
INJURIES IN 2001. WHITMAN ALSO
INJURED 31 OTHERS. THE INCIDENT
ENDED WHEN A
POLICEMAN AND A CIVILIAN REACHED
WHITMAN AND
SHOT HIM DEAD. AT THE TIME, THE
ATTACK WAS THE DEADLIEST MASS
SHOOTING BY A LONE GUNMAN IN
U.S. HISTORY.
IN DECEMBER 1991, THE CITY WAS
STUNNED BY THE
MURDERS OF FOUR TEEN AGED GIRLS
WHO DIED IN A
YOGURT SHOP IN NORTH AUSTIN. TWO
PEOPLE WERE
CONVICTED OF THE MURDERS, BUT
LATER WERE RELEASED
FROM PRISON WHEN AN APPEALS
COURT OVERTURNED
THEIR GUILTY VERDICTS. THE CASES
HAVE NOT BEEN RE-
TRIED.
IN MARCH 2014, FOUR PEOPLE DIED
AFTER
AFTER A
AFTER A CAR RAMMED INTO A CROWD ON RED RIVER STREET IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN DURING SOUTH BY
SOUTHWEST. THE DRIVER OF
THE CAR HAD BEEN FLEEING AUSTIN
POLICE WHEN HE
SMASHED THROUGH A BARRICADE AND
STRUCK
BYSTANDERS. AT LEAST 20 OTHERS
WERE INJURED.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SHOOTING
INCIDENTS IN
THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT
DISTRICT OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS, BUT NONE THAT
AFFECTED AS MANY PEOPLE