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Suspect arrested after North Austin shooting

Multiple lanes of St. Johns Avenue are blocked off due to police activity and emergency response in the area.

AUSTIN, Texas — Authorities responded Monday morning to a shooting in North Austin that sent two people to the hospital with gunshot wounds. 

On Tuesday, police said suspect Dante Crawley, 27, has been arrested.

The Austin Police Department (APD) said officers received a shoot/stab hotshot call at 10:01 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of West St. Johns Avenue. Police said one person was taken into custody at approximately 10:16 a.m. 

The APD and Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) personnel said two people were taken to the hospital. ATCEMS said one person had serious, but not expected to be life-threatening injuries and the other person had non-life-threatening injuries. 

Based on an affidavit obtained by KVUE on Wednesday, police received multiple calls about the incident. One caller reported that two males were shot and they were "bleeding really bad." They gave a similar description of the suspect, a man wearing all red with a blue backpack. One said the suspect was seen fleeing north on foot and that he was last seen on Delmar Avenue. 

Police arrived and started canvassing the crime scene at the Mobil gas station, finding three spent cartridge casings in the parking lot. Police said one victim suffered a gunshot wound to the face and the other to his face, leg and abdomen.

When searching the Delmar Avenue area, police said a witness flagged officers down and said they saw a man wearing red placing a gun into a backpack. He was last seen in the parking lot of a nearby La Quinta hotel sitting between some dumpsters and a fence. He was detained shortly after about 700 meters from the crime scene.

Credit: Austin Police Department
Dante Crawley, 27

Based on surveillance footage, police said those involved were congregating in the gas station parking lot. Police noted that this area is a known location for day laborers to seek work.

Court documents state Crawley can be seen approaching the group but not engaging with them. He then paces near them for about 30 seconds "as if he is waiting on something or preparing himself for something" with his hands in his front sweatshirt pocket. He can then be seen approaching the first victim, who is facing away from him and talking on a cell phone, and then pointing a black handgun at the back of his head before firing one round. 

The second victim is then seen approaching the suspect as if to stop him before Crawley starts firing again as the group runs away. Crawley can then be seen fleeing north.

The APD told KVUE Monday afternoon that the shooting was a random and isolated incident, and added that the suspect and victims did not know each other. The suspect is being charged with two counts of aggravated assault, according to the APD. 

Crawley's motive remains unknown as the investigation continues.

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