Texas shooting spree: Families of victims in South Austin speak out
AUSTIN, Texas - Family members of the victims in South Austin are speaking out after a shooting spree across Austin and San Antonio that left six dead and three injured. Two people were killed on Shadywood Drive Tuesday, Dec. 5.
The victims are identified as 24-year-old Sabrina Rahman and 32-year-old Emmanuel Pop Ba.
Marshall Hussain, Rahman's uncle, says she and her family had just moved into a house on Shadywood Drive.
"She's just the sweetest person in the world," he said. "They've been saying it for the last few months, 'hey, we need to move to a little bit safer area' and all that. They just moved here two days before, they didn't even finish."
The family identified the victim as 24-year-old Sabrina Rahman. The other victim was identified as a friend and handyman, 32-year-old Emmanuel Pop Ba. Photo: Sabrina & family (courtesy: Rahman family)
Pop Ba was a friend and handyman.
"[Rahman and Pop Ba] are the most docile people. You know, they never raise their voice, never say 'I don't like you' or anything like that," he said.
Pop Ba's brother, Mario Gabriel Cas, says Pop Ba was eating lunch in his truck when he was shot, and his truck was stolen.
"It hurts, a family member, they could take this life away in any moment," he said in Spanish. "My brother and I came to this country to work, to give a good life to our families."
Hussain says Rahman was walking with her baby.
Community raise concerns on APD communication
Austin police have been applauded for the bravery and hard work of officers on the ground risking their lives to track down Shane James Jr., confront him and take him into custody. But where some have raised concerns is about the communication coming from police saying it could have, and should have, been better.
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"She pushed the baby behind one of those cars to save the baby. Then [suspect] came out of the car and shot her in the face," he said.
He says police should've done more to alert people about the suspect.
"They took too long to alert something because this fellow had done something in the morning, and it is not very far from this neighborhood," he said.
"I'll leave it in the hands of the authorities, so they can bring justice. We want justice because my brother was not looking for any trouble," Cas said.
Rahman's family is hoping to bring her body back to Bangladesh where her parents are. A GoFundMe has been set up in her memory to support her husband and son.
Pop Ba's family says they are planning to bring his body back to Guatemala, where he is from. A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the expenses of his funeral.