Texas: Police identify man fatally shot by driver at Austin demonstration
Garrett Foster, 28, suffered multiple gun wounds, the city's police chief says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police have identified an armed protester who was shot and killed by a person who had driven into a crowd at a demonstration against police violence in the Texas capital.
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Garrett Foster, 28, was shot and killed on Saturday night as demonstrators marched through downtown Austin.
Mr Manley said officers heard “two separate volleys of gunfire” and made their way to the crowd where they found Foster suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Mr Foster was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The police chief said a vehicle turned onto the block where protesters stood and honked its horn. Police declined to say why the driver was there at that time or whether his intent was nefarious.
Witness Michael Capochiano told the Austin American-Statesman that the car sped through the protesters before it apparently hit an orange barrier and stopped.
In video that was streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters start screaming and scattering. Police can then be seen tending to someone lying in the street.
Mr Manley said the driver and several witnesses told police Foster approached the driver side window of the vehicle and pointed an assault rifle at the driver.
The driver said they shot Mr Foster and drove off, police said.
Mr Manley said the driver called 911 and reported the incident. That person was taken into custody but later released. The driver's name wasn't immediately released.
The second round of shots was fired by protesters who witnessed the shooting, Mr Manley said. The shooter fired at the car while it drove away. That person was also taken into custody but later released, Mr Manley said.
In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, Sheila Foster said Mr Foster was her son and he had been a regular at the protests with his fiancee.
“They've been participating in these protests almost every day for the past 50 days,” she said.
Ms Foster said she was told her son was pushing his fiancee, who uses a wheelchair, through an intersection when the suspect was driving “erratically” through the crowd. She said she was told the driver shot her son three times.
The shooting happened during a night of protests and unrest in several US cities.
AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments