Shooting In Downtown Austin Amid Police Protest Leaves Man Dead

AUSTIN, TX — A shooting left at a demonstration against police brutality left a protester dead Saturday night, police said.

In a brief news conference just after midnight on Sunday, a police spokesperson said officers already were downtown monitoring protests when the shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. along the 300 block of Congress Avenue. Police learned the adult male shooting victim may have been carrying a rifle when he approached a vehicle, prompting the vehicle's occupant to fire his own weapon.

The suspect was detained and cooperated with the police investigation, Senior Police Officer Katrina Ratcliff told reporters. The shooting victim — identified by friends as Garrett Foster, 28, for whom a GoFundMe drive has been established — was rushed to Dell Seton Medical Center but he died a short time later, Ratcliff said.

The officer assured there was no longer a threat to the public, and no other injuries resulted from the shooting. A law pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott enacted Jan. 1, 2016, allows for the open carry of firearms as an expression of Texas residents' 2nd Amendment rights.

Related story: 3 Guns Involved In Fatal Austin Shooting During Police Protest

While police had not provided updates since their midnight news conference, Austin Mayor reacted to the shooting just on Sunday evening. "In a split moment, three guns were drawn, eight shots were fired, and a protester was tragically killed," Adler wrote on Twitter. "This is horrible as is all gun violence. There are too many guns. Our city is shaken and, like so many in our community, I’m heartbroken and stunned."

A Facebook Live feed from the scene by self-described journalist Hiram Gilberto captured the chaotic scene as demonstrators scurried in a panic after at least five shots were fired in quick succession. Video circulating on social media shows the chaotic scene in downtown Austin after shots were fired.

Grieving friends of the dead man identified him by name on social media, some noting he was a caregiver to his wife who is in a wheelchair. Others mentioned the work both did together in helping members of the homeless community.

In the aftermath of the shooting, fellow protesters shouted Foster's name repeatedly in protracted chanting during the live social media feed after each time a protest leader loudly instructed to "Say his name!" With his wife at the scene, fellow demonstrators staged a makeshift memorial in the early morning hours to honor their fallen friend.

An organized vigil was schedule for 7 p.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Congress Avenue and 4th streets.

A GoFundMe campaign was established after Foster's death to cover funeral costs and related expenses. "A great person was taken away from his fiancée, his mother, father, siblings and a host of loving family members," the campaign's organizer, Patricia Kirven, wrote on the page. "He fought against injustice, served in the military and was fiercely protective of his fiancée."

At last check, the drive had raised more than $75,900 — well in excess of the original $50,000 goal — among nearly 2,800 donors. As centerpiece, the page features a photo of Foster and his fiancée. Some of those expressing condolences and solidarity on the page were located as far away as Plano, Texas, Toronto and Minneapolis — the latter where George Floyd died after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Some of those gathered for the impromptu memorial for their fallen friend early Sunday noted he was a Caucasian fighting for black lives — "using his privilege to protect black lives," as one demonstrator put it. "Tonight, s*** changed," the demonstrator added. "Tonight, an innocent man exercising his First and Second Amendment rights was killed. If that doesn't move city council and the city manager, nothing will," she said. They know what happened. Are they here?" she asked, prompting a collective "no" from those gathered.

Austin-Travis County EMS medics via Twitter urged residents to avoid the central business district in the aftermath of the shooting. They initially described the victim's injuries as critical and life-threatening before police reported the man had died.

Given the chaotic scene amid ongoing protests condemning police brutality that have occurred since May, initial reports from EMS said "multiple" injuries had resulted from the shooting. Later, medics modified the assessment in reporting only one patient was located.

The injured person was rushed to the hospital injuries medics described as critical and life-threatening before police reported at 11 p.m. the man had died.

Police reported the incident occurred Congress Avenue and 4th Street, but Austin-Travis County EMS placed the location at 6th Street and Congress a couple of blocks away.

Continuing protests were sparked in earnest by the death of Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police on May 25, but smaller, less-organized demonstrations already had begun locally a month before following the fatal police shooting of Michael Ramos, an unarmed man police confronted outside a South Austin apartment complex.

Despite pleas from bystanders to not shoot Ramos, an officer fired the man's fleeing car in hitting the man. Eighteen days after the incident, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed no firearm was found on Ramos, his vehicle or the surrounding area, despite a caller's claim that he had been armed. Police vowed to release body camera video, but have since delayed its release.

Protesters calling for law enforcement reform have been further galvanized by collective ire after the city manager partly acquiesced to growing calls for Austin Police Department defunding by suggesting a cut of about $11.3 million from the department's $440 million budget. Most activists see the proposed cut as a mere pittance, as scores of them expressed to Austin City Council at Thursday's remote regular meeting.

Community activists instead seek a more ambitious reimagining of local law enforcement involving wholesale changes at the department to include ending police enforcement against violators who are homeless or mental issues. Advocates for such reform would prefer to see such duties left to professionals trained in dealing with the mentally ill or homeless.

The popular entertainment district encompassing both 4th and 6th streets has seen several shootings in the recent past, particularly along the latter bar-lined artery. However, demonstrations comprising throngs of protesters yielded a new, especially tension-filled element to this latest shooting incident.

Late Sunday, the Austin Democratic Socialists of America issued an advisory alerting to a vigil scheduled at 7 p.m. on 4th Street and Congress Avenue. "As always, we encourage comrades to be aware of their surroundings and watch after others while attending this event," the group said in alerting to the Sunday evening ceremony.

"The Austin DSA Leadership Committee is deeply shocked and saddened by the killing of a protester at a march for Black Lives and against state repression. Garrett Foster was not a member of Austin DSA, but he was a cherished comrade to many. Losing a member of the Austin activist community in this manner is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions. We stand in solidarity with Garrett’s friends and family, especially his partner, Whitney."

While police have yet to provide new details about the incident, Austin DSA provided its version of events: "It is clear that the shooter intentionally drove into the crowd, creating mass fear and confusion. There is no information available about the identity of the attacker or their motives at this time. However, this event comes at a moment when peaceful Black Lives Matter protests have been violently and deliberately disrupted across the nation."

The group condemned subsequent efforts by detractors of ongoing demonstrations to use the man's death as fodder for their opposition: "Anonymous online reactionaries are attempting to rub salt in our wounds and break our spirits. We must ignore those who gloat at this unnecessary death. We feel the best way to honor Garrett’s life is to continue the struggle for racial justice. Even in the wake of this horrendous and senseless killing, our Austin-wide siblinghood of anti-racist struggle is prepared to continue the fight. There is so much more work to do; we have a world to win!"

Those needing grief counseling after the incident were urged to contact the Austin Mental Health First Responders via email at atxmhstreethealers@protonmail.com. Those seeking to get in touch with the Austin DSA Leadership Committee can do so via leadership@austindsa.org or through its Slack channel for members.

The police spokesperson took no questions from reporters during the brief news conference, citing the early nature of the investigation. The Austin Police Department did not respond to an email from Patch sent early Sunday morning seeking confirmation of the victim's name.

Editor's note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.