Three juveniles are in custody after a chaotic and alarming series of shootings across Austin, Texas, left four people wounded, triggered a shelter-in-place order, and sent police officers racing across the city as suspects allegedly moved through neighborhoods in stolen vehicles firing at homes, apartment buildings, fire stations and passing cars.

Authorities say the violence unfolded over the course of roughly 24 hours during the weekend, creating fear throughout Texas’ capital city and forcing residents in parts of south Austin to remain indoors while officers conducted an intensive search.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described the events as an unusually dangerous and unpredictable crime spree involving multiple shooting scenes and stolen vehicles.

“We don’t have any specific motive that has been identified,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said during a news briefing. “In fact, these actions appear to be random.”

Officials confirmed Sunday that three young suspects — including two boys ages 15 and 17 — were taken into custody following what investigators believe were at least 10 shooting incidents that stretched from Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

Police say the suspects traveled across Austin in stolen vehicles, allegedly targeting locations seemingly without a consistent pattern while leaving destruction behind.

The incidents began Saturday afternoon.

According to authorities, officers first received information regarding a stolen firearm connected to one of the juvenile suspects. Police later determined the weapon allegedly used during the shootings had been stolen by the 15-year-old suspect before the violence erupted.

The 17-year-old suspect, meanwhile, was already wanted in connection with a separate firearm theft investigation, Davis said.

Investigators believe the group then moved across Austin, allegedly stealing vehicles and carrying out shootings at a variety of locations.

Authorities said apartment buildings, homes and even Austin Fire Department facilities came under gunfire.

One particularly alarming aspect of the spree involved attacks directed at fire stations while firefighters remained inside.

Fortunately, no firefighters were injured.

Still, officials described the shootings as extraordinarily reckless.

Police believe suspects fired into occupied residences and vehicles, creating potentially deadly situations for innocent people who had no warning and, in some cases, no connection whatsoever to those responsible.

As reports multiplied, law enforcement agencies began piecing together surveillance footage, witness descriptions and vehicle information.

Police said the suspects allegedly stole at least four vehicles during the crime spree as they moved through Austin neighborhoods.

Authorities have not publicly identified all three juveniles because of laws governing the release of information involving minors.

The violence intensified Sunday morning.

Officials said four people ultimately suffered injuries connected to the shootings.

One victim sustained critical injuries and was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment.

Three additional victims were also hospitalized.

Authorities have not released detailed information about each victim’s condition.

Police described some of the shootings as appearing entirely random.

Other incidents remain under investigation to determine whether victims may have been specifically targeted.

At one point Sunday, concern over the suspects’ movements and unpredictable behavior prompted city leaders to take the extraordinary step of issuing a shelter-in-place order covering a significant section of south Austin.

Residents were instructed to remain indoors while officers searched for the suspects.

Law enforcement resources flooded affected areas.

Police helicopters, patrol officers and investigators worked simultaneously across multiple crime scenes.

The operation intensified after officers located a stolen vehicle connected to the investigation.

According to Davis, two suspects — the 15-year-old and 17-year-old boys — were eventually discovered inside a stolen vehicle.

When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, police said both suspects fled.

A foot pursuit followed.

Authorities quickly apprehended both juveniles.

But investigators soon realized a third person who had been inside the stolen vehicle remained unaccounted for.

The search expanded.

Hours later Sunday evening, officers located and detained the third juvenile suspect at a gas station in Manor, a city northeast of Austin located roughly 15 miles from downtown.

Officials have not publicly disclosed the age or gender of the third suspect.

With all three suspects in custody, authorities lifted the shelter-in-place order.

Even so, investigators warned that the case remains highly active.

Police continue processing evidence collected from multiple shooting scenes and stolen vehicles.

Investigators are also working to determine precisely who fired shots during each individual incident.

Davis emphasized the complexity of the investigation.

Crime scenes stretched across multiple locations.

Evidence collection teams faced the challenge of analyzing shell casings, vehicle theft evidence, surveillance footage and witness accounts spread throughout Austin.

“This investigation is incredibly complicated,” officials indicated during updates provided to the public.

Authorities have not announced formal charges against the juveniles.

However, police indicated potential charges could include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft-related offenses and firearm-related crimes.

Additional charges may follow as investigators continue reconstructing events.

Officials are also attempting to determine whether the juveniles acted with any broader purpose or motive.

So far, police say evidence points toward violence that appeared largely random.

That randomness has become one of the most disturbing aspects of the case.

Community members expressed concern that shootings allegedly targeted locations with no obvious connection.

Fire stations.

Apartment complexes.

Homes.

Vehicles.

The apparent lack of a consistent target pattern heightened public anxiety as officers searched for those responsible.

Mayor Watson praised law enforcement efforts and emphasized the importance of public cooperation during rapidly developing emergencies.

Austin police also credited residents who provided surveillance footage and information that helped investigators piece together movements connected to the stolen vehicles.

Authorities have not said whether gang involvement is suspected.

They also have not publicly indicated whether drugs or mental health factors may have played any role.

Juvenile crime involving firearms has increasingly drawn national attention in recent years as police departments across major cities grapple with incidents involving younger suspects accused of violent offenses.

Law enforcement experts often point to illegal firearm access and stolen weapons as key concerns.

In this case, investigators believe the firearm allegedly used during the shootings had itself been stolen before the violence began.

Officials have not disclosed where or how the weapon was initially taken.

Investigators are also examining how multiple stolen vehicles became involved.

Police believe vehicle thefts helped enable suspects to move quickly between locations while making detection more difficult.

For Austin residents, the weekend violence created a sense of uncertainty rarely experienced on such a large scale.

The shelter-in-place order underscored how seriously authorities viewed the threat.

Families remained indoors.

Neighborhoods waited anxiously for updates.

Emergency alerts spread rapidly across phones and social media.

By Sunday evening, relief arrived with news that all three suspects had been detained.

But officials cautioned that major questions remain unanswered.

Why these shootings happened.

Who fired which shots.

Whether additional crimes remain connected.

And whether warning signs existed before the violence erupted.

Police say those answers will come only after investigators finish sorting through an extraordinary volume of evidence.

For now, Austin leaders say public safety remains their highest priority.

Authorities urged anyone with surveillance footage or information connected to the shootings to contact investigators.

Meanwhile, four victims continue recovering from injuries sustained during one of Austin’s most alarming crime sprees in recent memory — a violent stretch of roughly 24 hours that transformed ordinary neighborhoods into active crime scenes and left an entire city searching for answers.