Austin police are investigating the weekend shooting deaths of two men as businesses in the North Austin neighborhood worry about safety.
Business owners in Lanier Village want more police presence at the shopping center located in the 8600 block of North Lamar Boulevard where two Hispanic men were fatally shot early Sunday morning.
One died in the parking lot. Another man died three hours later in the hospital.
Austin Police Department homicide detectives are investigating the crime, but will not say how it happened.
A white SUV crashed into the building leaving behind damage thatis still visible.
Austin police officers have proactively increased patrols to the area and conducted drug and prostitution stings to lower the crime rate. Still, some business owners say it is not enough.
“Austin is a peaceful city and this kind of crime happening in this neighborhood is disturbing,” said business owner Jamil Muhammed, who runs TST Insurance in Lanier Village.
APD will not say who shot the two men who died, so it is unclear if a third party was involved.
The shooting deaths mark Austin's 16th and 17th murders in 2010.
