A 32-year-old man with a history of mental health problems opened fire outside a Target store on Aug. 11 in Austin, Texas, killing three people, authorities said.

Austin Police Department responded to the scene within four minutes of the shooting at 2:15 p.m. CT, Chief Lisa Davis said during a news briefing. By then, the shooter had fled in a stolen car, crashed it soon after, and then stole another vehicle, Davis said.

Police then tracked the suspect down, used a Taser stun gun on him, and arrested him, Davis said.

Davis did not release his name and said a motive wasn't immediately known. She said he does have a "rap sheet" with the department, but did not elaborate.

Two of the victims were declared dead in the parking lot, while the third person died at a local hospital, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said at the news conference.

Information about the victims was not immediately known.

"This is a very sad day for Austin. It's a very sad day for us all," Davis said. "Our thoughts are with the families. This is a tragic time."

In a social media post, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called the shooting a "cowardly act of gun violence."

"This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," Watson said. "While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I’ll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence. I am grateful for the quick response of our APD officers and other first responders and want to thank them for their actions to apprehend the suspect."

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at amanda.myers@usatoday.com and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 people fatally shot at Target parking lot in Austin, Texas; suspect arrested

Reporting by Amanda Lee Myers and Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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