A crazed gunman allegedly shot dead a little girl in front of her grandmother seconds after murdering her grandpa in a rampage through a Target.
Adam Chow, 65, and his four-year-old granddaughter were tragically shot in their vehicle, along with Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24.
Ethan Blaine Nieneker, 32, was subdued by police tasers as he ran naked into a ‘porta potty’ after he fled the store in northern Austin on Monday.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Chief Lisa Davis stated that Nieneker allegedly ‘randomly’ fired at Machuca in the parking area around 2:15 pm while he was gathering shopping carts.
He then fired at a black jeep that tried to evade his shot, before turning his gun on Chow’s grey Toyota 4-Runner.
Chow was shot in the driver’s seat, then fired into the back seats – hitting the granddaughter, Davis alleged.
The mortally wounded grandfather’s wife tried to carry the girl to safety, when Nieneker pushed them out of the car and drove away.
Around 2:20 pm, Nieneker allegedly approached a water truck parked by the Mopac Expressway, assaulted its driver, and forcefully removed him from the vehicle.
Ethan Blaine Nieneker, accused of a shooting spree outside a Texas Target, resulting in three fatalities, has been shown for the first time in his mugshot, appearing battered.
Adam Chow (left) was killed and his wife (second from left) wounded during the Target shooting, and their four-year-old granddaughter also murdered
Target worker Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24, was the first victim as he was shot dead while collecting trolleys
Nieneker tried to drive the truck away but wasn’t able to, instead chasing the truck driver away with his pistol before returning to the Toyota.
Five minutes later, he collided with a Volkswagen and then landed on an Infiniti SUV, followed by a reported assault and carjacking of the Volkswagen driver.
Nieneker only drove that car until 2.34pm when he tried to steal a Waymo car, but failed and got back in the Volkswagen.
Shortly afterward, a known associate from Nieneker’s church reported that a brick was hurled through his window on La Casa Drive by the suspect.
Nieneker’s alleged rampage continued until 2.58pm when he was spotted walking naked through a backyard down the street from the one he bricked.
He was seen running into a ‘porta potty’, then running away again before police found him and demanded he surrender.
When he refused, police fired their tasers and he was arrested at 3.06pm.
Nieneker’s booking photo showed him staring straight at the camera with several fresh cuts on his face.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said during a press conference on Monday that he stole two cars after the shooting, and wrecked the first one while fleeing from cops.
Nieneker was described as white and wearing a Hawaiian shirt at the time of the shooting.
Police said they received calls about the shooting 15 minutes later and rushed to the scene within four minutes.
They found three people bleeding out with gunshot wounds in the parking lot. Medics pronounced two of the victims dead at the scene, while a third died from their injuries while being rushed to hospital.
Police say Nieneker fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, which he then crashed
Nieneker allegedly fled from the Target to South Austin, where he was apprehended
The Daily Mail has also unearthed photographs of Nieneker from social media, showing him grinning with friends at social events, posing while wearing a Covid-style mask by a trash bin, and posing beside a fireplace.
Another Facebook image shows the alleged gunman holding a large brown leaf in front of his face and creepily peering over it, while a fifth photo shows Nieneker wearing an American flag as a bandana.
Police Chief Davis told reporters on Monday evening that Nieneker has a history of mental illness and a prior criminal history.
Records obtained by the Daily Mail show he has been arrested numerous times since 2011, including an apprehension in August 2015 for assaulting a family member.
Pictured: A photograph of Nieneker from his Facebook page showing him wearing a face mask
The Daily Mail has also unearthed photographs of Nieneker from social media, including the one above showing him grinning with a friend at social events
Another image from Nieneker’s Facebook page shows him holding a large brown leaf in front of his face and creepily peering over it
Pictured: A photograph of Nieneker from his Facebook page showing him beside a fireplace
Nieneker was also previously arrested for driving while intoxicated twice, criminal mischief and a violation of a bond or protective order.
A suspected motive for the shootings and the names and ages of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
Shoppers and employees at Target said they ran for cover when they heard gunshots ring out in the parking lot.
‘I was inside the store, but then I hear on the radio like shots fired, so then they just told us “active shooter…” so we just ran outside, we told guests to get out,’ Target employee Freyen Sagastume told KXAN.
‘I thought that this only happened like in the news and stuff and then like I kind of just froze at first, but then I saw everyone running.’
Meanwhile, at the nearby Jiffy Lube, employees hunkered down and locked the store’s doors when they became aware there was a shooting outside.
One mechanic, Paul Smith, told Spectrum Local News he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic.
‘I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before,’ he said.
Nieneker also posted the above image of himself wearing an American flag as a bandana
Authorities pronounced two people dead at the scene of the shooting, while a third succumbed to their injuries en route to a local hospital
A spokesperson for Target also said it will be providing counseling to staff members who experienced the shooting.
‘We are devastated by the violence that occurred today at our store in Austin, Texas. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, our team in Austin and all those impacted by this tragedy,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are working with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation and are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly at the scene.
‘In the days ahead, we will continue partnering with law enforcement and will be providing support resources, including grief counseling, to our team.’
