The gunmen remained at large in Austin, Texas and Kenosha County, Washington, on Sunday afternoon, after each killed three people in what police described as specific incidents.
In Kenosha County, a clash at a bar left three dead and two people injured. Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said authorities were still looking for a suspect. “We don’t think it was a random act,” Beth said. “We believe our suspect knew who he was targeting.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers tweeted Sunday his “heart breaks” for the people of Kenosha, the same area where a police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times on August 23, paralyzing him and causing weeks of protest and violent riots. Mr. Evers tweeted that he and his wife “think of the families and loved ones affected and the entire Kenosha community. while they hurt and confront each other with another tragic incident of gun violence. “
The shooting in Austin took place in an apartment complex in the northwest of the city, police reported on social media. Police said the murders were an isolated situation of domestic violence and that there was no risk to the general public. Police closed a portion of the 360 freeway and advised residents to protect themselves at the site while searching for areas near the suspect.
Paramedics responded just before noon to the shooting, which left two women and a man dead, authorities said. Austin Police Acting Chief Joseph Chacon identified the suspect as Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, and reported that preliminary information indicated he was a police officer. Mr. Broderick’s name and age coincided with a former detective from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office who was arrested last year and charged with sexually assaulting a child. Chacon urged Austin residents to check out friends living in the area.