Police say 3 dead in a shooting at a Target in Austin, Texas, and a suspect has been detained

A gunman opened fire Monday outside a Target store in Austin, Texas, killing at least three people, and a suspect has been arrested, police said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect stole a car after the attack and fled the scene. But he wrecked that car and stole another before being captured in south Austin, where he was taken into custody, she said during a news conference.

She said responding officers found three people who had been fatally shot in the Target parking lot.

“This is a very sad day for Austin. It’s a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families,” she said. Davis said she had no information to release about the victims.

Davis said the suspect is a white male who appears to be 32 with “a mental health history.”

An Austin-Travis County emergency services spokesperson said first responders treated one person for unrelated injuries.

The shooting came amid back-to-school shopping ahead of the upcoming school year. Target corporate has not responded to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

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Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Jamie Stengle in Dallas; and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed.