South Austin house fire: Suspect set house on fire, shot himself, police say
Suspect may be connected with two house fires: APD
The suspect in a South Austin house fire is currently in surgery after shooting himself in front of officers at the scene.
AUSTIN, Texas - The suspect in a South Austin house fire is currently in surgery after shooting himself in front of officers at the scene.
What we know:
Austin police say that at 10:20 a.m., they received a call about a person trying to get into a home in the 1900 block of Edgeware Drive off Menchaca Road, less than a mile from where Menchaca intersects with S Lamar Boulevard.
Twenty minutes later, another call came in about a fire within the house.
AFD, APD respond to house fire in South Austin
Austin fire crews responded to a house fire in South Austin which prompted a "large police and fire presence."
While Austin police and fire crews were responding to the scene, a third call came in about a gunshot.
Austin police made contact with a person in the driveway of the home and attempted to speak with him, giving "very loud commands." However, the person refused to comply and ignored officers.
Officers then heard a gunshot when the man, described by police as a white male in his 60s, shot himself in the driveway.
Two people then exited the house and officers secured the scene before rendering aid to the suspect. He was then taken to a local hospital where, as of 1:40 p.m., he is in surgery.
APD says if he survives, he will be held on a medical evaluation and charges are pending.
APD adds that no officers fired any shots or were injured. The gunshots came from the suspect, one to a front window in order to throw something into the home to set the fire, and one to shoot himself.
Once the scene was secured, Austin fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
Watch the full APD press briefing below:
Austin police speak on South Austin house fire
Multiple agencies are investigating after a man set two homes belonging to family members on fire and then shot himself in South Austin.
Dig deeper:
Austin police say this incident is believed to be a case of family violence.
APD also adds that there was a fire earlier in Travis County set by the same suspect. That home belonged to the suspect's family.
Travis County officials say the fire was in southwest Travis County and that it is an active investigation.
What's next:
There is no ongoing danger to the public.
Austin FD arson investigators will be handling the investigation into the fire while Austin police are handling the family violence and shooting aspects.
The Travis County Fire Marshal's Office is also investigating the other fire.
Local perspective:
"My neighbors called me and I got some text messages, and I was able to leave work quickly to make sure that everything was taken care of," says Alethia Ostfeld, who has lived across the street for the last 16 years.
She rushed home to check up on her neighbor, who owns the house where the incident took place.
"He's a go-to guy. He's really helpful and collaborative, so I was really surprised to see this happen," she said.
But in the past, Ostfeld had been warned by her neighbor to keep an eye out for one of his relatives.
"I will tell you my neighbor has always suspected that that relative would show up and he would always ask for people to be on the lookout for the house," she told FOX 7.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Austin Police Department, the Austin Fire Department, and interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Marco Bitonel