UPDATE: Third Suspect Arrested in Connection With Austin Shootings

Over the weekend, a string of random shootings took place across the city of Austin, TX.

At least four people were injured — one critically — in twelve separate shooting incidents.

On Sunday, two teenage suspects were arrested in connection with the shootings.

If you missed it, here’s our previous update on the situation:

UPDATE: Two Teenagers Arrested After Random Shooting Sprees Across Austin — One Suspect Still at Large

Now, police have arrested the third and final suspect.

The suspects are aged 15-17 and are all Hispanic males.

Here are the details:

NEW: Austin police arrested three juveniles connected to a string of shootings across the city that injured four people, struck two fire stations, and triggered a shelter-in-place order in South Austin.

Police say a 15-year-old and 17-year-old were taken into custody Sunday… pic.twitter.com/iSLwRx8eJA

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 18, 2026

NEW: Austin police arrested three juveniles connected to a string of shootings across the city that injured four people, struck two fire stations, and triggered a shelter-in-place order in South Austin.

Police say a 15-year-old and 17-year-old were taken into custody Sunday after at least 12 shooting incidents overnight. A third suspect was later detained following a vehicle pursuit.

The 15-year-old suspect stole a gun on Saturday from the exact same shop that the 17-year-old suspect (allegedly) stole a firearm from previously.

Here's a clip of the gun shop owner talking about it:

The same gun shop owner who’s employees were involved in the shooting at an E Austin club last month, Michael Cargill, admits the gun used in the 12 shootings across Austin over the weekend was stolen by a teenager from his store.

He says he did not know they were teenagers when… https://t.co/5FdPJ3V6Vj pic.twitter.com/ijMGX46Rxx

— Vinny Martorano (@VinnyMartorano) May 18, 2026

The same gun shop owner who’s employees were involved in the shooting at an E Austin club last month, Michael Cargill, admits the gun used in the 12 shootings across Austin over the weekend was stolen by a teenager from his store.

He says he did not know they were teenagers when they entered the store, and would not specify how it was able to be stolen after asking him multiple times.

The 17-year-old suspect has been identified as Cristian Mondragon.

Police had a warrant out for his arrest for gun theft.

The Austin American-Statesman reported:

Mondragon is charged with aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest with a vehicle.

Sources close to the investigation said a warrant had been issued for Mondragon’s arrest in recent months but could not elaborate on the details because Mondragon was underage at the time.

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Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in a Sunday news conference that two teenagers — ages 15 and 17 — were in custody in connection with the shootings. Davis said the 17-year-old had an outstanding warrant tied to the theft of a gun from “the same store” where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a firearm Saturday.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in a Sunday news conference that two teenagers — ages 15 and 17 — were in custody in connection with the shootings. Davis said the 17-year-old had an outstanding warrant tied to the theft of a gun from “the same store” where the 15-year-old allegedly stole a firearm Saturday.

Police did not share details on the gun theft, but the Austin Police Department’s incident report database shows only one firearm theft on Saturday, May 16. Police responded at 11:34 a.m. to Central Texas Gun Works at 321 W. Ben White Blvd.

Michael Cargill, the owner of Central Texas Gun Works, confirmed to the American-Statesman that a firearm was stolen Saturday. He also corroborated an account shared by a Reddit user as the shootings unfolded Sunday. The Reddit user wrote that they were attending a class at Central Texas Gun Works around 11:40 a.m. Saturday when employees — including Cargill — began “sprinting toward the front” of the store. The user said they believed that was when the firearm was stolen.

Cargill said the Reddit account was largely accurate. “That’s about how it went down,” he said, adding that employees chased the person “down Congress Avenue,” but couldn’t catch up.

Here's Mondragon's mugshot:

APD Releases New Information in Connection to Multiple Shooting Incidents Across Austin - https://t.co/yozZNohV8R pic.twitter.com/5TMucNvkZf

— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) May 18, 2026

The names of the other suspects are being withheld due to their ages.

An Austin Texas PD press release has detailed the charges each suspect is facing and broke down a timeline of the incidents:

The Austin Police (APD) Aggravated Assault Unit, alongside local, state, and regional law enforcement partners, has arrested three suspects in connection with a series of shootings, stolen vehicles, and related violent crimes that occurred across Austin between Saturday, May 16, 2026, and Sunday, May 17, 2026.

The three suspects in custody are:

• Cristian Fajardo Mondragon, 17 years of age

• Hispanic male, 16 years of age
• Hispanic male, 15 years of age

Because two of the suspects are juveniles under Texas law, APD is limited in what information can be publicly released regarding their identities, booking information, and detention status. The 17-year-old suspect, Cristian Mondragon-Fajardo, has reached the age of criminal responsibility under Texas law and may be publicly identified in connection with filed criminal charges.

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Formal charges remain under review and are expected to include multiple counts related to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault/motor vehicle, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, theft of a firearm, and other related offenses. Additional charges may be filed as investigators continue reviewing ballistic evidence, surveillance footage, witness statements, and recovered evidence.

At this time, investigators believe the incidents were a mix of random and targeted shootings. Some victims were known to the suspects, while other incidents appeared to occur without any known connection. Investigators do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public related to these incidents.

The timeline of events is as follows:

Saturday, May 16, 2026

• 11:30 a.m. – Officers received a report of a stolen firearm from a business located at 321 W. Ben White Boulevard. Surveillance footage identified the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored Hyundai Sonata. Investigators later determined the Hyundai Sonata had itself been stolen from the Social Apartments located at 1817 E. Oltorf Drive.
• 3:58 p.m. – 10 Yucca Drive – The first confirmed shooting occurred at a trailer residence. Officers located multiple shell casings and bullet damage to the structure. No injuries were reported.
• 4:30 p.m. – 3300 Parker Lane – Officers responded to another shooting at the Whisper Hollow apartment complex. Multiple vehicles and an occupied apartment were struck by gunfire, including rooms occupied by adults and young children. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Investigators recovered shell casings from the scene and obtained surveillance footage showing a black sedan involved in the shooting.
• 6:08 p.m. – 1601 Montopolis Drive – A third shooting occurred at an apartment complex. Investigators learned that the suspect(s) exited the vehicle on foot and fired through the door of a third-floor apartment. No injuries were reported. Witnesses observed a suspect wearing a black hoodie enter a black sedan and flee the scene. Investigators obtained surveillance footage, which linked this shooting to the previous shootings. Detectives began investigating this as a series of shootings.
• 6:19 p.m. – 4802 Cypress Bend – An unoccupied residence was struck by gunfire. The homeowner later returned to his residence to discover bullet holes that has been struck through his home and vehicle. Investigators recovered video footage from a neighboring residence that captured a dark-colored sedan matching the vehicle that was involved in previous incidents.
• 7:00 p.m. – 2707 S IH-35 Service Road North – A Hyundai Elantra was stolen from a Motel 6 parking lot. Investigators obtained video capturing images of the suspects, which matched the descriptions from previous incidents.
• 8:30 p.m. – 6575 Decker Lane – Shots were fired at a business and nearby vehicles. A witness stated that a suspect fired a gun into the air from a vehicle. No damage or injuries were reported.
• 8:49 p.m. – Austin Fire Station 26, 6702 Wentworth Drive – A suspect fired shots from a vehicle into the Austin Fire (AFD) station garage doors, while firefighters were inside. The gunfire struck emergency response vehicles and equipment. No firefighters were injured.
• 8:55 p.m. - 5701 Purple Sage Drive – Two victims reported that suspect(s) fired shots from their vehicle, striking the windshield of the victim’s vehicle, which was parked and attended. One victim, who was sitting inside the vehicle when it was struck, received minor injuries from the shattered windshield glass. The witnesses described the suspects driving in a dark-colored sedan, which matched the description of the sedan used in previous incidents.

Sunday, May 17, 2026

• 3:50 a.m. – 2336 Douglas Street – Another stolen vehicle was reported.
• 7:45 a.m. – 1800 E. Stassney Lane – Officers recovered a stolen vehicle containing bullet damage believed to be connected to the ongoing incidents.
• 8:46 a.m. – 7409 Janes Ranch Road – A victim was shot in the back and stomach and transported to a hospital. A witness described a dark-colored sedan driving away after hearing shots fired, linking this incident to the incidents of the prior day.
• 9:00 a.m. – South First Street and Ben White Boulevard – Officers located one of the stolen Hyundai vehicles connected to the investigation, but the vehicle eluded before officers could attempt a traffic stop.
• 9:30 a.m. – Investigators recovered additional stolen vehicles in Southeast Austin believed to be tied to the suspects and shootings.
• 10:46 a.m. – Austin Fire Station 32, 2804 Monticello Road – Another shooting involving a gold-colored sedan was reported. A suspect fired shots from a vehicle into the Austin Fire (AFD) station while the garage doors were open, striking an AFD vehicle and the building structure. Firefighters were inside during the shooting. A witness told a firefighter they observed a suspect in a gold sedan firing into the station.
• 1:27 p.m. – 4501 S IH-35 Service Road North – Investigators believe the suspects stole a white Kia Optima later used in several shootings.
• 1:44 p.m. – 2223 Burton Drive – Two victims were shot during a drive-by shooting involving the white Kia Optima. As officers searched for the suspect vehicle, portions of Burton Drive near East Oltorf Lane were temporarily shut down as part of the active investigation and emergency response. Detectives reviewed camera footage that corroborated what the victims reported to officers.
• 1:53 p.m. – 6118 Fairway Street – Another shooting involving the white sedan was reported.
• 2:02 p.m. – 10001 Burleson Road – Additional shots-fired incident reported.
• 2:29 p.m. – 11700 Dionda Lane – A victim sustained gunshot wounds and was transported to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries. At this time, the victim is continuing to be treated at a local hospital. Investigators located surveillance footage showing a white Kia sedan approaching a victim before the victim fell to the ground. The Kia then fled the scene.
• 3:23 p.m. – FM 973 Area – The stolen white Kia Optima was located by Manor Police Department officers after a BOLO was broadcast to surrounding agencies. Manor Police Department and Travis County Sheriff’s Office deputies pursued the vehicle until the suspects drove into a field near FM 973 and abandoned the vehicle. Three suspects fled on foot. One suspect was apprehended near the vehicle. A second suspect was located nearby after an extensive search involving K9s, air support, and multiple agencies. The third suspect was detained later after Manor PD responded to a suspicious person call near FM 973. All three suspects were ultimately taken into custody.

In total, over the course of the 12 shootings:

• Four people were struck by gunfire. Three victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. One victim sustained critical injuries and was transported to a trauma center.
• Five vehicles were struck by gunfire.
• Four residences were struck by gunfire.
• Two fire stations were struck by gunfire.
• Three fire department vehicles were struck by gunfire.
• At least five vehicles were stolen.
• One firearm was stolen.

Investigators connected the incidents through surveillance footage, witness statements, ballistic evidence, stolen vehicle reporting and recoveries, recovered shell casings, officer observations, and coordinated intelligence sharing between agencies.

APD utilized numerous investigative resources, in addition to the Aggravated Assault Unit, throughout the investigation, including:

• Air Support
• K9 units
• Metro Tactical teams
• Tactical Intelligence Unit
• Violent Crimes Task Force
• Patrol resources
• SWAT teams
• Crime scene specialists
• Austin Fire (AFD)
• Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS)
• Texas DPS
• Travis County Sheriff’s Office
• Manor Police Department
• AISD Police Department
• Del Valle ISD Police Department
• University of Texas Police Department
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

At this time, investigators are still processing evidence, including shell casings, surveillance footage, stolen vehicles, and digital evidence. The investigation remains ongoing.

At this stage of the investigation, APD is aware of the contribution of license plate reader (LPR) technology that assisted in the apprehension of the suspects in Manor. In addition, investigators relied heavily on officer observations, coordinated BOLO information, witness reports, surveillance footage, and regional law enforcement coordination.