Austin police investigating two shootings on Fourth of July

One of the shootings happened on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. The other happened in North Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas - Michael Fields has lived in his North Austin complex for four years. Never did he think that he'd be a witness to a shooting right near him.

"We saw a bunch of ambulances, fire truck came," he said, describing the scene, which he initially thought was a fireworks accident.

Austin police said they got the call to come to the A Country Place apartment complex just before 9 pm on the Fourth of July. Police said someone shot a woman in her 20s and a two-year old was also injured. Austin-Travis County EMS said the woman had serious injuries and the child's injuries were potentially serious. Blood, police tape and gauze were still at the scene Monday morning.

"We thought somebody fell. When we went over there to investigated, we saw somebody on a stretcher," said Fields.

That same night in downtown, police dealt with another shooting. Ken Casaday, president of the Austin Police Association, was just about to be off of his shift that night. He was working the area near Sixth Street and Trinity.

"That’s where we had two ladies last night shot in the same area and they are both in critical condition," said Casaday.

This is the same area where just three weeks ago, there was a mass shooting. "It seems to all be within a four or five block area," he said.

Police looking for suspect who shot 2 women in downtown Austin

The Austin Police Department says two women were shot on East 6th Street near Trinity just minutes after the bars closed.

Casaday said not only are the number of shootings alarming, but he is finding out that officers are seizing more guns. He said officers made eight arrests, seizing 10 handguns on East Sixth Street.

"I’ve been a police officer 25 years and I’ve worked in violent crime units and I’ve never seen this many firearms being seized in this period of time," he said. "Just the downtown area over the last six months is disturbing."

It has been reported that crime has been on a steady rise in Austin, but Casaday said his officers are bearing the brunt.

"We are very short handed and trying to fill those positions," said Casaday.

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