Austin Local Headlines: Shooting investigation, APD firing, Southwest route expansion

1) Fatal shooting involving off-duty APD officer under investigation

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says it is investigating a Friday evening shooting at a barbershop in unincorporated Travis County. Deputies reported arriving after multiple 911 calls and finding one adult man dead at the scene, with a second person injured and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators said a man entered the business and opened fire. An off-duty Austin Police Department officer who was inside the barbershop returned fire, and the suspected shooter died at the scene. Authorities said the suspect’s identity and a motive had not been determined as of the initial release.

2) APD officer fired after Sixth Street punch caught on video

An Austin police officer was fired after a widely shared video showed a punch on Sixth Street during a 2025 incident, according to records obtained by a local public media newsroom. The termination memo described multiple policy violations, and the officer can appeal the decision.

The report also notes the incident has drawn civil litigation and additional scrutiny of officer conduct downtown, keeping police accountability in the public spotlight heading into a busy spring season.

3) Southwest adds four nonstop routes from Austin starting in October

Southwest Airlines is expanding its Austin schedule with four new nonstop options beginning in October: year-round service to Memphis plus seasonal Saturday flights to Knoxville, Santa Rosa and Destin. The additions continue a years-long trend of growth at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and could give travelers more one-stop-free choices for fall trips.

Also: APD requests help identifying suspect in construction-site vandalism case

Austin Police detectives are asking the public to help identify a suspect tied to a December criminal mischief case at a home under construction in Central Austin. Police said the damage involved electrical wiring and was estimated at more than $4,000, and tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers.

Sources

• https://www.tcsheriff.org/about/media/press-releases/2026-press-releases/430-tcso-investigating-fatal-shooting-involving-off-duty-apd-officer
• https://www.kut.org/crime-justice/2026-02-20/austin-tx-police-department-officer-fired-sixth-street-fight
• https://www.expressnews.com/business/travel/article/southwest-austin-airport-new-nonstop-routes-21369878.php
• https://www.austintexas.gov/news/apd-detectives-search-suspect-connection-criminal-mischief