No arrests made in Northeast Austin shooting
AUSTIN, Texas - No arrests were made in a Northeast Austin shooting. The aggravated assault happened at a stoplight in broad daylight on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
FOX 7 Austin News spoke with a woman who witnessed the shooting.
"We were scared because we felt like it could have been us," said Sarah.
Sarah and her partner were driving home from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. They were sitting at the stoplight when they heard screams from the car behind them.
"My partner then said he has a gun," said Sarah. "We took off and called 911 from there, and as we were driving away, we heard a gunshot."
She then realized something was wrong. It happened in broad daylight, around 1:30 p.m., as they were going northbound on the Frontage Road at the US 290 intersection with Highway 183 in Northeast Austin.
"It was kind of a blur," said Sarah. "We got out of there really quickly because it all happened super fast. I think, you know, within like 15 seconds of hearing the yelling. We had left the scene."
Austin police responded to an armed robbery that resulted in gunfire.
"It seemed really random to us, like the perpetrator just pulled up beside this car and just started assaulting the driver," said Sarah.
These cases are not uncommon in Texas. Daniel Armbruster, with AAA, spoke about how often violent incidents like these happen.
"Last year, there were more than 1,600 cases of road rage crashes in the state of Texas, and those are just the ones that are reported," said Daniel Armbruster.
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According to AAA, there has been a significant rise in road rage-related incidents since the pandemic.
"There was an increase when you look at 2020 to 2022, and it really hasn't gone down since," said Armbruster.
Sarah is still shocked by the experience and asked us not to reveal her identity.
"From what I understand, the perpetrator is still at large, and I don't want to put myself or my family at risk," said Sarah.
She hopes sharing this story will make other people more cautious. AAA shared some advice on what to do if you find yourself in this situation.
Armbruster recommends, "Don't make eye contact with them, don't respond with aggression; that's likely only going to escalate that situation and make things worse."
He went on to add that you should not be afraid to dial 911, drive to a public place, and remain in your vehicle.
According to APD, the victim who was shot has non-life-threatening injuries. They have not released a description of the suspect who they are looking for at this time. The case is still an ongoing investigation.