What we know about Austin shopping centre shooting

Two dead, including the gunman, after violence broke out at the Arboretum outdoor shopping mall

A shooting outside a shopping centre in the Texas city of Austin left one victim dead and another with critical injuries.

The incident, which also left the gunman dead, took place near The Arboretum on Thursday evening.

Police say that any relationship between the gunman and victims was not immediately known, and Austin Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson declined to give more details about the shooting.

Here is everything we know:

Where and when did the shooting take place?

The violence unfolded at The Arboretum, an upscale outdoor shopping mall on Austin’s north side.

Authorities say that it started at 5pm on Thursday 31 August and that by 5.07pm responding police had found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.

The shooting is believed to have taken place near the mall’s Teapioca Lounge.

At 5.11pm, police, firefighters and medics began treating a victim, who was taken to a hospital at 5.17pm. Two other people were also evaluated for minor injuries.

By 5.20pm, two people, one of whom was the gunman, had been declared dead at the scene.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire and Explosives (ATF) and the local bomb squad responded to the scene because of reports of an explosion being heard. However, no explosives were found at the scene, police said.

“I would like to offer condolences to the families of the victims, in addition to the multiple witnesses that witnessed the tragedy here today,” said Chief Henderson.

Who was killed in the shooting?

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services say that both people killed in the shooting were adults.

Investigators say they do not yet know if there was any relationship between the gunman and the victims.

Austin police and EMS meet at the Great Hills Baptist Church for a media briefing on Thursday, 31 August, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP)

The identity of the gunman has not yet been released,

Reaction from the owner of the shopping mall

A spokesperson for the Washington Prime Group, the owner of The Arboretum, released a statement following the incident.

“We are deeply saddened by this senseless act. The safety of our guests, retailers and employees is our top priority. We are working closely with the Austin Police Department as they investigate this isolated incident,” the statement read.