Austin, TX
2 overnight shootings in Austin leave 3 dead on Fourth of July weekend
Three people are dead after two separate overnight shootings in Austin.
The first happened before midnight on the Fourth of July. The Austin Police Department responded to a call for service around 11:48 p.m. at the parking lot outside of Michelobos Sports Bar in North Austin, said APD officer Austin Zarling at an early Sunday morning press briefing.
Officers found two male victims with trauma and rendered aid until Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department arrived. The victims were taken to a local hospital, where one was pronounced dead around 12:29 a.m. The other victim is in stable condition, Zarling said.
A third person has been detained as part of the investigation.
APD is asking for people with information on the shooting to call the homicide tip line at 512-477-3588 or Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.
The incident was followed by another shooting in the parking lot of Bare Cabaret, an adult nightclub in Northeast Austin. Just before 4 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired, said Kristen Dark, public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, at a Sunday press briefing.
Multiple shots were fired during an “altercation” in the parking lot, Dark said. There were nearly 400 people at the scene, prompting a large law enforcement response.
A man in his 20s died at the scene, and a woman whose age is unknown but “likely late teens, early 20s” died at a local hospital, Dark said.
One person was detained and has since been released. The sheriff’s office has not made any arrests, Dark said in a phone call around 11 a.m. Sunday.
It took several hours for deputies to interview people at the scene. The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate.
This is a developing story.
Austin, TX
Iranian-Americans rally at Texas Capitol for “Free Iran” on Fourth of July
AUSTIN, Texas — Iranian-American demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Saturday as part of a global week of action calling for a free Iran.
Organizers said the demonstration was one of many being held around the world this week. Sholeh Zendehdel, one of the demonstrators, said the global week of action was called by Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, who has lived outside the country since the 1979 revolution.
The group has held regular rallies in Austin for months protesting Iran’s current government. Demonstrators are calling on the U.S. government to stop negotiating with Iranian officials and to continue pushing for regime change.
“We just want to say, President Trump, please finish the job,” Zendehdel said. “All along, we’re hoping this whole negotiation isn’t just part of politics, and it doesn’t happen. We just need to get this done.”
Organizers said they plan to continue rallying and advocating for a free Iran as they press the U.S. to halt negotiations with Iran’s government.
Austin, TX
South Texas Health System (@stxhealthsystem)
To help families get moving together, South Texas Health System will host its 6th Annual Transform Your Life Health & Wellness Fair in just two weeks!
Join us on Saturday, July 18, at Tres Lagos North Park (@treslagosmcallen) in McAllen (@cityofmcallen) for a free morning of fitness, wellness and family fun, featuring:
💃 Zumba, yoga, pickleball and more
🍳 Healthy cooking demonstrations and food samples
🧘 Meditative and wellness activities
✅ Fun for all ages
For complete event details, visit https://sthsactive.com/ or the Facebook Events page at the link in our bio.”.
Austin, TX
City of Austin covers iconic murals, sparking backlash over cultural loss
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin is losing several well-known street murals after the Texas Department of Transportation ordered the city to cover them, saying they violate state guidelines.
The city coated over multiple murals on Thursday, including the “Black Artists Matter” mural on East 11th Street and the Texas mural on Guadalupe Street near the University of Texas at Austin campus. People who live in Austin said the changes feel like a loss of culture and identity.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | City of Austin memo lays out street art that may have to be removed under Abbott order
“Kind of ridiculous. It wasn’t hurting anybody,” said Orion Sun, an East Austinite.
Landry Knowles, an Austinite, said, “It makes me feel really sad and angry.”
In some places, remnants of the murals could still be seen beneath the street coating.
The directive to cover what were described as “political ideologies” came from TxDOT earlier this summer under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott. In a letter to the city, TxDOT said “the current markings are not acceptable and do not fully comply with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD) and related federal guidance.”
Austin Transportation and Public Works confirmed it covered the murals on Thursday.
For some residents, the change went beyond paint on pavement.
“It gave the place character. Now, it’s just another black street,” Sun said.
Knowles said the Texas mural “was a symbol of school pride,” she said. “The fact that it’s covered up, it erases part of the school’s identity.”
Knowles also said, “It erases creativity.”
Sun added, “It removes the uniqueness.”
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Some Austinites said they are hopeful new artwork will be created to replace what is now buried under the street coating.
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