Following the shooting death of a police officer and the deaths of two hostages during a hostage situation on Saturday, the Austin community is in shock.
The house was visited by police early on Saturday morning. The hostage-taker fired shots at the officers, missing.
Two SWAT officers were shot an hour later. One person died.
SWAT members killed the hostage-taker by firing back. Inside the house, two more victims were discovered dead, according to the police.
Neighbors of the house claim they were taken aback by everything since their neighborhood is typically calm and serene.
“I heard a lot of police sirens going off, and I thought that was very strange, especially for the time of night,” said Jose Castillo.
“I got up to look around the house, and I saw the cops everywhere,” Gaston Jones said.
Officer Jorge Pastore was named by Austin’s Interim Chief of Police as the officer killed in the shooting. 2019 saw him join the department.
To honor Pastore’s life, hundreds of people, including members of the law enforcement community, gathered at Austin City Hall on Sunday night.
According to Cleo Petricek of Save Austin Now, “Officers like Jorge make it possible for us to live just a phone call away from help.” “Jorge and his family have given more than we could ever repay.”
A “Get Well Soon” card was available for individuals to autograph in support of the injured officer who was in the hospital.