The University of Texas Police Department is currently on the hunt for a suspect after reports of shots being fired near the LBJ Presidential Library on campus. The incident, which transpired on the evening of July 13, has spurred a rigorous investigation, as detailed by UTPD in a release on social media.
According to KXAN, the police responded to the call just before 8:30 p.m., at the intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Robert Dedman Drive. This location is notably close to where President Joe Biden is to visit merely two days later. The suspect, failing to have been found, is described as a white man with long black hair, last seen wearing a flannel shirt and carrying a black backpack.
UTPD advised those in proximity to the library to stay indoors as they continued their investigation, pleading to the public to avoid the area. The suspect is deemed potentially dangerous, and people are urged to reach out to law enforcement immediately if they spot the individual fitting the description provided.
Conversely, FOX 7 Austin reports that no further shots were detected following the initial gunfire, and thankfully, there have been no injuries reported. Despite the suspect still being at large, UTPD confirmed that there doesn’t appear to be an ongoing threat to the community. They caution the public to not approach the suspect and to instead contact 911 or use the LiveSafe app to report any sightings.
As the University of Texas community grapples with the shock of the event and the unsettled peace on campus grounds, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the undercurrents of the vulnerability that even places of higher learning are not immune to in these times of firearm-related incidents. Details regarding the suspect’s motives and whereabouts remain scarce as investigations push forward.
