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‘There are used needles, used condoms’: West Campus homeless encampment draws concerns

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‘There are used needles, used condoms’: West Campus homeless encampment draws concerns


AUSTIN (KXAN) — Human waste, syringes and trash is piling up at a homeless encampment in West Campus. Some college students instructed KXAN they keep away from strolling by the world due to it.

The homeless encampment is within the artist market simply toes away from the Drag and subsequent door to the College Co-op, which is an space with heavy foot site visitors.

Joell McNew, president of SafeHorns, a nonprofit advocating for scholar security, stated the encampment has been there for months and is changing into a hazard to not solely the scholars and companies close by but in addition for the folks residing there.

“There are used needles, used condoms; there may be feces, urine, trash,” stated McNew. “They’re residing there, and why is that OK?”

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A Metropolis of Austin spokesperson stated its homeless technique division and the Austin Police Division stated have “been in communication with stakeholders about particular considerations associated to this location.”

“Metropolis departments and workplaces together with APH, EMS, APD, and HOST are actively partaking the unhoused inhabitants within the space earlier than enforcement motion happens. Shelter and housing shortage pose a major problem as many individuals experiencing homelessness don’t at present have protected and authorized locations to sleep and meet fundamental wants,” an announcement stated.

McNew stated she has obtained complaints about aggressive habits from the folks residing within the encampment a number of instances, and plenty of college students are scared to stroll by.

“The encampment has grown,” McNew stated. “The inhabitants is far bigger. It’s extra aggressive, and this can be a enormous human and public security well being disaster.”

The SafeHorns president stated she needs the folks residing there to get assist, however nobody appears to be responding.

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“When they’re taking part in prison habits and exercise and negatively impacting the group, there ought to be accountability for that, and town ought to step in,” McNew stated.

The town stated its homeless shelters are full, and it stated “the inhabitants of individuals experiencing homelessness within the Austin space has not declined for the reason that tenting ban was reinstated by voters in 2021.”

The town stated if a homeless encampment is creating a priority for security, you possibly can contact Austin 311 to create a report.

KXAN has reached out and is ready for a reply from the College of Texas, APD and the native councilmember. As soon as we obtain a response we’ll add it to the story.

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Austin, TX

APD seeking the public’s help to find 40-year-old missing man

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APD seeking the public’s help to find 40-year-old missing man


AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department has asked for the public’s help in its search for a missing 40-year-old who was last seen Saturday afternoon in downtown Austin, according to a press release from the agency.

Police identified the missing man as Daniel Choi, and said he was last seen in the 600 block of Davis Street around 1:04 p.m. His friends found his cellphone on the ground at Caesar Chavez and South First Street around 5:45 p.m., APD said in a news release.

APD said it has concerns for Choi’s disappearance, as he needs undisclosed medications.

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The Austin Police Department is seeking the public’s help to find a 40-year-old missing man last seen in downtown Austin Saturday (Courtesy APD)

Choi is described as an Asian man, 5 feet 8 inches, 130 pounds, has straight black hair and has limited use of his right arm, according to APD. He was last seen wearing blue swim shorts with bird print on them and a blue T-shirt.

If anyone sees Choi, they are urged to call 911 immediately or the APD Missing Person’s Unit at 512-974-5256.



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Austin, TX

Fourth of July celebrations in Texas

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Fourth of July celebrations in Texas


TEXAS — Looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth of July?

Here is a list of events happening across Texas on July 4:

Central Texas

Hill Country Galleria Independence Day Festival

On the streets of the Hill Country Galleria, this event will take place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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There will be shopping, live music and a firework show after dark.

Austin Symphony H-E-B July 4th Concert & Fireworks

This event will take place at the Auditorium Shores and the Long Center. Enjoy music and food starting at 4 p.m. and a firework show to finish off the night at 9:30 p.m.

Hutto Fourth of July Celebration

This event will take place at the Brushy Creek Amphitheater from 5 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

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The celebration will feature live music, kids entertainment, local food vendors and fireworks.

San Marcos’ Fireworks Show

This event will be visible throughout San Marcos with the city encouraging residents to enjoy the fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m. The best visible places for the show are San Marcos Activity Center, San Marcos Public Library, City Park or Bobcat Stadium.

Round Rock Fourth of July Parade & Frontier Days

This event will take place at the Round Rock Mays Street and Old Settlers Park, with a parade at 8:30 a.m. and celebrations at the park starting at noon.

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After the parade, families can enjoy carnival rides, pig racing, live music and a pepper-eating contest.

Marble Falls Fourth of July Fireworks

The celebration at Lakeside Park starts at 5 p.m., followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Live music and food will be there for attendees to enjoy.

Kerrville’s 4th on the River

Come and enjoy a concert, vendors and fireworks during this celebration. The event will take place at Louise Hays Park. With the fireworks celebration kicking off at 9:30 p.m. 

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Floresville Fourth of July Festival

Floresville is hosting its Fourth of July Festival, which takes place from 3 to 11 p.m. The event will feature fun activities, live music and food and craft vendors. The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m.

North Texas

Denton Fourth of July Jubilee

Don’t miss out on a free family-friendly event from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Denton Downtown Square. Experience live music, food from local vendors, games, inflatables, rock climbing, face painting, photo opportunities, a hot dog eating contest, and an unforgettable drone show to end the night!

Frisco’s Party in the Plaza

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Following the FC Dallas match, Frisco is hosting a firework show at around 9:45 p.m. Enjoy live music, a car show and food throughout the day, leading up to the fireworks.

Fair Park Fourth

From 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., enjoy local vendors, live music, entertainment, food trucks and a firework show to end the night. The firework show will begin close to 9:40 p.m.

Fort Worth’s Fourth

At Panther Island Pavilion, you’ll be able to enjoy food, kids’ activities and live music from Trey and the Tritones and Coffey Anderson. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and attendees are invited to bring your own tube and float in the roped area until 8 p.m. The night will be topped off with a firework show at 9:30 p.m.

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McKinney’s Red, White and Boom

This festival will take place at Gabe Nesbitt Community Park from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be music, food, activities, a concert and fireworks to finish off the festival.

Grapevine July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza

The event will start at 9:30 p.m. They will also have a playlist to listen to while watching the fireworks show. You can find the playlist on their website.



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Austin, TX

Charges against 2 Uvalde school officers are still leaving families frustrated

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Charges against 2 Uvalde school officers are still leaving families frustrated


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two indictments against former Uvalde, Texas, schools police officers are the first charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response that saw hundreds of officers wait more than an hour to confront an 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 fourth-grade students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.


What You Need To Know

  • Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and former Officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on June 26 by a Uvalde County grand jury on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment over their actions and failure to immediately confront the shooter
  • Several families wonder why more officers have not been charged for waiting to go into the classroom, where some victims lay dying or begging for assistance, to help bring a quicker end to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history
  • Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has not said if any other officers will be charged or if the grand jury’s work is done

For some Uvalde families, who have spent the last two years demanding police accountability, the indictments brought a mix of relief and frustration. Several wonder why more officers have not been charged for waiting to go into the classroom, where some victims lay dying or begging for assistance, to help bring a quicker end to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and former Officer Adrian Gonzales were indicted on June 26 by a Uvalde County grand jury on multiple counts of child endangerment and abandonment over their actions and failure to immediately confront the shooter. They were among the first of nearly 400 federal, state and local officers who converged on the school that day.

“I want every single person who was in the hallway charged for failure to protect the most innocent,” said Velma Duran, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of the teachers killed. “My sister put her body in front of those children to protect them, something they could have done. They had the means and the tools to do it. My sister had her body.”

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell has not said if any other officers will be charged or if the grand jury’s work is done.

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Here are some things to know about the criminal investigation into the police response:

The shooting

The gunman stormed into the school on May 24, 2022, and killed his victims in two classrooms.

More than 370 officers responded but waited more than 70 minutes to confront the shooter, even as he could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle.

Terrified students inside the classrooms called 911 as agonized parents begged for intervention by officers, some of whom could hear shots being fired while they stood in a hallway. A tactical team of officers eventually went into the classroom and killed the shooter.

Scathing state and federal investigative reports on the police response have catalogued “cascading failures” in training, communication, leadership and technology problems.

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The charges

The indictment against Arredondo, who was the on-site commander at the shooting, accused the chief of delaying the police response despite hearing shots fired and being notified that injured children were in the classrooms and a teacher had been shot.

Arredondo called for a SWAT team, ordered the initial responding officers to leave the building and attempted to negotiate with the 18-year-old gunman, the indictment said. The grand jury said it considered his actions criminal negligence.

Gonzales was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway.

All the charges are state jail felonies that carry up to two years in jail if convicted.

Arredondo said in a 2022 interview with the Texas Tribune that he tried to “eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff.” Gonzalez’s lawyer on Friday called the charges “unprecedented in the state of Texas” and said the officer believes he did not break any laws or school district policy.

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The first U.S. law enforcement officer ever tried for allegedly failing to act during an on-campus shooting was a campus sheriff’s deputy in Florida who didn’t go into the classroom building and confront the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland massacre. The deputy, who was fired, was acquitted of felony neglect last year. A lawsuit by the victims’ families and survivors is pending.

The lawsuits

The families are pursing accountability from authorities in other state and federal courts. Several have filed multiple civil lawsuits.

Two days before the two-year anniversary of the shooting, the families of 19 victims filed a $500 million lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers who were part of the botched response. The lawsuit accuses the troopers of not following their active shooter training and not confronting the shooter. The highest ranking Department of Public Safety official named as a defendant is South Texas Regional Director Victor Escalon.

The same families also reached a $2 million settlement with the city under which city leaders promised higher standards for hiring and training local police.

On May 24, a group of families sued Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, and the maker of the video game Call of Duty over claims the companies bear responsibility for the weapons used by the teenage gunman.

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They also filed another lawsuit against gun maker Daniel Defense, which made the AR-style rifle used by the gunman.



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