Grandfather and granddaughter among those killed in US Target shooting

US constabulary person identified nan victims successful a shooting that killed 3 people, including a child, successful a Target parking lot.

The victims see Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca arsenic good arsenic Adam Chow and Chow's granddaughter.

"Adam Chow and his 4-year-old granddaughter were pronounced deceased connected scene," a Tuesday connection says. Martinez Machuca was pronounced dormant aft being transported to a hospital. Chow's woman sustained insignificant injuries, nan merchandise said.

Authorities said nan suspected gunman, Ethan Nieneker, "randomly attacked" Martinez Machuca — a Target worker — successful nan parking batch connected Monday section time.

Nieneker allegedly changeable him arsenic he was collecting shopping carts, nan merchandise said.

The shooting is 1 successful a spate of deadly weapon unit successful nan US, and follows killings successful caller weeks astatine places usually considered safe – a Montana bar, nan offices of nan US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention successful Atlanta and an agency building successful New York City.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Tuesday nan victims were picked astatine random and Nieneker had "serious issues".

"There were immoderate superior failures present … erstwhile you look astatine perchance immoderate intelligence unwellness there," Davis said.

The firearm utilized successful Monday's fatal shooting was "acquired done family," Austin constabulary Sergeant Nathan Sexton said Tuesday.

Nieneker, 32, is being held astatine nan Travis County Jail, charged pinch superior execution by panic threat, superior execution of a personification nether 10 years aged and felony first-degree murder, according to online jail records.

He besides has anterior criminal offences, including battle causing bodily wounded to a family member, driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, Davis said connected Tuesday.

It is unclear if Nieneker has made a tribunal quality aliases obtained an attorney.

A motive has not been wished and it's not clear what led to Monday's gunfire.

The shooting erupted during a engaged clip of twelvemonth for retailers, pinch back-to-school shopping underway.

Police were called astatine 2.15pm and arrived astatine nan Target parking batch wherever they recovered 3 group shot, Davis said.

After shooting Martinez Machuca, Nieneker ran to a achromatic Jeep Cherokee.

He began firing arsenic nan Jeep attempted to evade nan gunfire, Tuesday's constabulary connection said.

He past ran up to Chow's car, wherever he changeable him and past fired into nan backseat, striking nan granddaughter, constabulary said.

Nieneker was yet captured astir 32km distant successful South Austin aft personification called police, Davis said.

He was taken into custody aft being tased.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called nan shooting "a sickening, cowardly enactment of weapon violence".

"This is simply a devastating situation, and my bosom is pinch nan victims and their families," he said successful a station connected X.

Target said successful a connection it is "devastated by nan violence" astatine nan Austin shop and is moving pinch rule enforcement connected nan investigation.

Lonnie Lee, 22, had visited nan Target pinch her sister and was shocked to spot nan parking batch was cordoned disconnected and filled pinch police, she told The Associated Press.

"We sewage really, really lucky," Lee said.

"And immoderate group didn't."

At a Jiffy Lube shop that shares its parking batch pinch nan Target, labor locked nan doors arsenic soon arsenic they became alert of nan shooting.

Paul Smith, an worker astatine nan oil-change store, saw group moving from their cars successful nan parking batch successful a panic, he told nan AP.

"I had conscionable gotten backmost from nan Target for illustration a infinitesimal before," Smith said.