ATX PULSE 9/12/25 (free) (sponsored by 1440 Media): APD ID’s Suspect, Officer in Zilker Shooting // Georgetown Man Injured in Overpass Crash Dies // ATX Council Advances Affordable Housing Fund Modeled After Dallas // ATX Council Approves Stricter STR Rules // #7 UT Hosts UTEP at 3:15pm Sat on SECN // Austin FC at Dallas Sat 7:30pm

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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WEATHER

Today: H: 96° / L: 71°. Mild days, warm nights, per Fox 7 Austin. Rinse-and-repeat weather pattern for several days, per KXAN.

Friday: H: 96° / L: 69°

Saturday: H: 95° / L: 71°

Sunday: H: 95° / L: 70°

TOP NEWS

“Austin police ID suspect, officer involved in Zilker Park shooting.” CBS Austin's Stephanie Becerra -- "​Austin police have identified the suspect and the officer involved in Wednesday's shooting near Zilker Park.

The incident occurred at around 5:20 a.m. in the 700 block of Azie Morton Road.

In an update on Thursday, police say 30-year-old Brandon Thompson shot and injured Senior Police Officer Adam Reinhart. Officer Reinhart, who has served with the Austin Police Department for over six years, is recovering at the hospital.

Police say Thompson has been charged with attempted capital murder of a peace officer and burglary of a residence.

Thompson is currently in custody at a local hospital.

Police say he shot a woman in the back of her head and then fired at Officer Reinhart before fleeing and breaking into a house where he was shot and injured by the homeowner.

The Austin Police Department announced they will hold a press conference to provide further updates on the case on Friday at 12:30 p.m.” CBS Austin

“APD, Austin ISD PD chiefs address alert confusion, miscommunication following police shooting,” KVUE's Brittny Eubank -- "​After confusion and frustration from Austin ISD parents, local law enforcement leaders are addressing what they call a communication error and conflicting messages following Wednesday's police shooting near Zilker Park. 

At a press conference on Friday, both Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis and Austin ISD Police Department Chief Wayne Sneed acknowledged the prematurely downgraded shelter-in-place order that caused confusion for AISD parents who were concerned their children were heading to school while the alleged gunman was still on the loose.

Davis laid out the following timeline of how information went out to the community:

• 5:27 a.m. - "Shelter-in-place" message was sent out to contacts, to those who have signed up for WARN Central Texas alerts within the designated radius

• 6:30 a.m. - Follow-up message lifted the shelter-in-place, replacing it with an "avoid the area" notice due to heavy police presence. AISD said its police department had a representative at the command center at this time

• 6:59 a.m. - AISD police leadership was brief on the situation and the status of the suspect, who remained at large. Sneed said prior to 7 a.m., he had not had any communication with APD. The district said it "continued operating based on the public notification until 7 a.m.," when it was clarified that the shelter-in-place was still active

• 8:31 a.m. - Follow-up message was shared advising people to avoid the area

• 8:57 a.m. - Final message was sent, advising contacts to resume normal activities because the suspect was in custody

"We recognize the seriousness of this mistake, and we are reviewing this breakdown to ensure it does not happen again," Davis said. "Communication and moments like this are critical. But I can say this: we work every day, and work very well, with AISD. And I'm very happy with that relationship. We share a lot of goals, and we work very closely together. And that's going to continue to improve as we move forward."

Davis said APD is also working with Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management department to collaborate with partnerships outside AISD, to discuss opportunities for improvement, including tabletop exercises to make sure everyone knows their role during critical incidents.

"We are an agency that is a learning culture, and as we understand that there is room for improvement, we will continue to grow and continue to make those improvements as we move along," Davis said.

AISD PD Chief Sneed said he agrees that things could've been done differently on Wednesday, and that his department is committed to tightening up protocols and enforcing systems to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

"Current protocols focus on when students are present at campus, and we've identified these transition periods as gaps in our emergency planning," Sneed said. "We'll now plan for various types of incidents that occur during the day, such as early morning arrivals, afternoon dismissals and lunchtime for students, especially high school."

Sneed said AISD runs over 600 buses a day, and elementary buses are already on the move by 5 a.m. By the time the alerts were being sent out, the district police was focused on securing campuses because current protocols revolve around students already on campus and have not been designed for those transition periods.

"What we did not and had not built into it was when kids are on their way to school, out at lunch or leaving school, how we address those," Sneed reiterated. "And so, that's what we'll really be focused on, along with working with our partners and building up our communication."“ KVUE

“Elementary school evacuated in SE Austin due to electrical odor.” CBS Austin's Will LeHardy -- "​An elementary school in southeast Austin was evacuated after an electrical odor was reported to AFD crews.

Firefighters responded to reports of an electrical odor at Perez Elementary School at 7500 S. Pleasant Valley Rd. at around 9:40 a.m. Friday morning.

AFD said that no smoke or fire was present, but the school was evacuated as a precaution.

Students and staff were let back into the building after firefighters found no evidence of smoke or fire.

AFD said the source of the smell was a burnt motor in an AC unit.” CBS Austin

THE BLOTTER

“Georgetown man injured in overpass crash dies,“ Fox 7 Austin’s Lisette Lopez — “A man who was injured after a tractor-trailer hit an overpass in Georgetown has died. 

Attorneys say, on Sept. 9, 42-year-old Jonathon Morgan died from his injuries in the ICU. 

"Jonathon was surrounded by his loving parents, brother and sister-in-law, young niece, and so many other close friends as he fought in the ICU," the Morgan family's attorneys stated.

The victim's family shared this statement:

"He was just a wonderful, wonderful man who was committed in his faith and service to his church and so, so involved in his family. He was just the best son, brother, and uncle you could ask for. He was a deep and faithful Christian, and we were so grateful to have him. We desperately miss our Jonathon, and his loss has created a huge hole in our family, and not just our family but everyone who was in his life, and we will never be same."

What happened?

On Sept. 2, an 18-wheeler was hauling an excavator on top of it, which made it too tall to fit underneath the SH29 bridge in Georgetown when it was traveling down I-35.

"It's our understanding that even though they had a permit to go under the bridge, the actual strike height was much higher," said Kimberly Kayatta, an attorney at Tinsman & Sciano representing Morgan.

The tractor-trailer struck the bridge and sent large pieces of debris flying through the air. It caused a chain reaction that led to the damage to five other vehicles and injured at least two people, including Jonathon Morgan, who was driving a pickup truck. 

"This is utterly inexcusable," said Attorney Kayatta. "At no point should a company be hauling equipment down a high-speed highway without taking the proper steps to ensure the route is safe, and they can easily clear all overpasses."

Lawsuit filed

The Morgan family is now suing the truck company and the driver involved in the crash. 

The attorneys said they are seeking wrongful death damages.

The investigation is ongoing.” Fox 7 Austin

“Austin police arrest suspect in major drug trafficking investigation,“ CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “The Austin Police Department's Narcotics Support Unit arrested a suspect in connection with a prolonged investigation into drug trafficking and distribution in Downtown and East Austin last week.

Detectives arrested 33-year-old Jesse Carrillo at a residence on 91 Red River Street on Wednesday, September 3. Carrillo is charged with money laundering, a second-degree felony, and delivery of a controlled substance, a first-degree felony.

During the search, police seized 20.4 pounds of marijuana, 194 THC vape cartridges, 2,900 grams of suspected psilocybin-laced candy bars, 8.6 grams of cocaine, and more than $200,000 in cash. Additional felony charges are pending as the investigation continues.

The Austin Police Department emphasized its commitment to disrupting drug distribution networks that threaten community safety. “This case reflects the ongoing work of APD’s specialized units to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those involved in organized drug trafficking within the city,” the department said in a statement.

Anyone with information on narcotics activity is urged to call the APD Narcotics Tipline at (512) 974-8609, email [email protected], or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at (512) 472-TIPS or austincrimestoppers.org.” CBS Austin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“ATX Council advances affordable housing fund, renews energy rebate program, other items,“ CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “The Austin City Council has taken significant steps to address housing affordability and energy efficiency in the city.

During Thursday's meeting, the council approved several key items on their agenda, including the advancement of the Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) fund modeled after a similar initiative in Dallas.

In addition to the housing fund, the council renewed Austin Energy's energy efficiency rebate program. This program aims to provide customers with incentives for energy-saving improvements and to reduce overall energy demand.

The council also approved an agreement to enhance senior aging services, focusing on mental health, food access, meal delivery, financial advocacy, and overall health and wellness.

To combat housing displacement, the council authorized contracts for case management and outreach services through the Displacement Prevention Navigator Program (DPNP). This initiative is designed to help residents vulnerable to housing displacement remain in their homes.

Infrastructure improvements were also on the agenda, with the council approving the West 35th Street Water and Wastewater Pipeline Renewal project. This project will replace and upgrade water mains and wastewater lines that are in poor condition.

Furthermore, the council amended City Code Section 9-4-43 to redefine graffiti, add a definition for transportation infrastructure, and establish a notice procedure and graffiti removal process. The amendment also creates new sections to address these issues, although it was noted that this item has no fiscal impact.” CBS Austin

“Austin City Council approves stricter regulations on short-term rentals,“ KVUE’s Brianna Perez — “The Austin City Council passed a new set of regulations aimed at tightening oversight of short-term rental (STR) properties across the city during its council meeting Thursday.

Under the new rules:

• If an individual owns more than one STR, the STRs must be at least 1000 feet apart unless the STRs are located on a site with four or more dwelling units

• On a site with four or more dwelling units, an owner may operate at least one, but no more than 25% of the units

Councilmember Ryan Alter told KVUE this will prevent any single owner from occupying a large number of STRs on one street.

“We wanted to preserve that housing, preserve the neighborhood aspect, but also recognize that this is a tool for people to be able to afford to live here,” Alter said.

The regulations also introduce a city-issued license requirement for STR operators. Platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo will be required to display these licenses on listings. The measure is designed to give the city greater enforcement capabilities, including the ability to declare properties a nuisance, revoke licenses and require corrective actions for repeat violations.

“If you go and you list on Airbnb and you don't have a license, the city can go tell Airbnb you need to take that person off,” Alter said. “So, finally, we have a little bit of enforcement that we've lacked for a long time.”

Blake Anthony Carter, founder of Cribs Consulting, said he estimates that more than half of STR properties in the city currently operate without licenses. While he believes the new rules will help the city identify operators more effectively, he also warns that the changes could significantly reduce the number of available STRs.

“With this going into effect, it’s going to drop off potentially half of the properties if people don’t get licensed,” Carter said, adding his belief that some owners may begin shifting their operations to areas outside the city limits.

Most of the new regulations are scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1, while the licensing requirement will be implemented early next year.

The new regulations come after an ordinance requiring short-term rental properties to pay an 11% hotel occupancy tax went into effect on April 1.” KVUE

“City of Austin start new pilot program to remove graffiti on private property,“ KVUE’s Brianna Perez — “Property owners in Austin are getting another way to get rid of graffiti on their buildings. On Thursday, Austin City Council members approved a new one-year pilot graffiti abatement program.

“I really strongly feel that if we want to preserve and protect and enhance our sense of place in Austin, Texas, the beauty of our city, we need to be moving forward on things like this,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said during the council meeting on Sept. 11.

With the new pilot program, the Development Services Department will look into graffiti complaints, let the property owners know about them and then set up a free clean-up service through a third-party contractor. 

Before this program, the responsibility and cost all fell on each individual property owner.

“The community has been asking for us to come out and assist with graffiti, and before, we were unable to do it,” said Dedric Knox, a division manager with the Development Services Department, Code Compliance.

All property owners have to do is call 311 to receive the free service, and a crew will come out to clean it up within 48 hours.

City leaders have big expectations for the pilot program.

“It’s our hope that there’s a big change, that we’ll be able to impact not only downtown, but how the city of Austin looks as a whole,” Knox said.

Development Services said it will not remove any "art" or paintings on buildings that property owners agree to.

"It this is something that you want on that structure, building, property, wherever it may be, then we would not bother with it," Knox said.

If property owners decline the service, they will get a violation from the city, ordering them to remove it themselves within 15 days. After that, under state law, if they still don’t comply, the third-party contractors will come remove it anyway.

For city-owned property, the respective departments would continue to handle graffiti maintenance on their own buildings, like they have been doing.

The one-year pilot program will cost $567,775 and is funded through the Clean Community Fee in Development Services’ budget. Development Services plans to collect data on the program, like the number of graffiti complaints, the location of them, and the response times for cleanup.

The program is set to start in October. Then, after the year-long pilot, city leaders will examine the data to see if they want to continue providing the service.” KVUE

BUSINESS NEWS

“Austin advances Related Co.'s mixed-use plan for South Congress, plus other projects,“ Austin Business Journal’s Sean Hemmersmeier — “A handful of high-profile projects have taken a step closer to rising.

The most notable project that advanced at City Hall recently was Related Co.’s effort to build a massive mixed-use district along South Congress Avenue, and others include the redevelopment of a retail center that housed the iconic Waterloo Records & Video and an effort to add nearly 1,000 residential units in the Heritage neighborhood, which is close to the Hyde Park neighborhood. 

Here is a breakdown of the notable actions taken by the Austin Planning Commission and City Council this week.

500 S. Congress PUD 

The City Council approved a request to give roughly 6.5 acres of land near the intersection of South Congress Avenue and West Riverside Drive zoning of a planned unit development, which allows for increased density. 

Related aims to build several buildings on the site with a range of uses, including 600,000 square feet of office space, 950 residential units, a 225-room hotel and 135,000 square of commercial space for restaurant, grocery and retail uses. 

“As a city, we have a unique opportunity to transform an underutilized area of town into one of the most dynamic and desirable urban neighborhoods in the country," Mike Iannacone, president of Related Texas, said in an emailed statement. "We are thankful for the collaboration with local community groups, boards and commissions, the thoughtful consideration by the Mayor and City Council members, and the tireless efforts of city staff who share our vision for the future of the South Central Waterfront District.” 

This site currently has a two-story office building, a five-story office building, the South Congress Square Apartments and the karaoke bar Ego’s. Iannacone told the Austin Planning Commission on July 8 of plans to bring back Ego’s once the project is built out and have some affordable retail options in the high-demand and pricey South Congress retail market. 

Iannacone has also previously said that Related could take the next steps on the project quickly. He said the intention is to enter into the site development permit process after the project receives city approval, which could take two years, and then project officials would look for financing. Construction could start soon after, based on market conditions. 

Old Waterloo Records site 

The City Council advanced Endeavor Real Estate Group’s plans to redevelop the roughly 1.3-acre site that long held Waterloo Records at 600 N. Lamar Blvd.

Endeavor plans to build a nine-story, mixed-use building with 93 residential units and 18,000 square feet of retail space. 

Waterloo Records opened in a new location at 1105 N. Lamar Blvd. under new ownership.

Endeavor Principal Josh Lickteig said there isn't an official timeline on when demolition or other construction could start.” ABJ ($)

QUICK LINKS

Tri Pointe Homes expands in Leander with 2 new neighborhoods - ABJ

Austin moves forward with affordable housing fund - ABJ

Austin Icons: Donn's Depot hasn't changed in about 50 years — and Austin loves that - ABJ

What would you bring back if you could? - ABJ

Louie's Craft BBQ expanding into family-friendly sports restaurant - ABJ

Austin, Monitored: Revisiting short-term rentals, graffiti and more! - Austin Monitor

Council OKs new rules for short-term rentals - Austin Monitor

Austin police identify suspect accused of shooting officer near Zilker Park - KVUE

Suspect in Austin officer-involved shooting identified - FOX 7 Austin

Austin police ID suspect, officer involved in Zilker Park shooting - KEYE

From Bidding Wars to Bargains—How Austin’s Housing Market Became a Buyer’s Market - Realtor.com

Austin police canceled a shelter-in-place order while a shooter was on the loose - KUT

Displacement Prevention Navigator Program to Expand Outreach for Austinites - AustinTexas.gov

Austin police name suspect in Zilker Park shooting - Austin American-Statesman

‘Prepared’ homeowner shoots suspect who wounded Texas officer - Police1

Is Austin, Texas, A Good City To Own A Tesla In? - InsideEVs

'So Texas': Diehard UT fan brings literal longhorn to Austin tailgates - MySA

Didn’t get a text alert during Wednesday’s shooting in Austin? This could be why - KXAN Austin

Georgetown man sentenced for possession of child pornography - KVUE

Student group at University of Texas concerned about safety following Charlie Kirk assassination - KXAN Austin

Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ signs lease for new space - KXAN Austin

Suspect accused of shooting officer, woman near Zilker was in and out of jail, court records say - KXAN Austin

Southwest Airlines eyes 18 new gates in Austin airport expansion - Community Impact

Cenote makes its comeback on East Seventh in Austin - Community Impact

ProDerm Skin & Surgery to offer medical, cosmetic dermatology in Northwest Austin - Community Impact

Superintendent surveys, new buses, project contracts: latest Eanes ISD updates - Community Impact

West Lake Hills to vote on FY 25-26 budget Sept. 16 - Community Impact

Road extensions, budget, agreements: Learn about what's happening in Pflugerville - Community Impact

Texas State University fires professor for remarks 'advocating violence' - Austin American-Statesman

Lammes Candies, York Rite Temple, Capital Grille come with deep Austin history - Austin American-Statesman

Will Quintrevion Wisner, other injured Texas football players face UTEP? - Austin American-Statesman

Jolie and the Jackalopes at the Little Longhorn Saloon - Austin American-Statesman

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ WEEKEND PLANS: “Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend” Culture Map Austin

~ DINING: “ACL Fest adds 17 new food vendors, including burgers + Filipino snacks” Culture Map Austin

~ WONDERFUL VOLUNTEER EFFORT: “H-E-B volunteers help out at all 54 Austin fire stations on 9/11” CBS Austin

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR AMY & MATT MACKOWIAK: You’re invited. 5:30-7:30pm at Nica (super cool jazz club that’s not even open yet). All details here. Please RSVP!

~ LIVE MUSIC: Killer Mike. Radio East. 5pm. Tix $55 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Marty Stuart. The Paramount. 8pm. Tix $78 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Aloe Blacc. 3Ten at ACL Live. 9pm. Tix $58 and up here.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

SAT

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: UTEP at #7 Texas. 3:15pm. Tix $38 and up here. Airs on SEC Network.

~ AUSTIN FC: Austin at Dallas (Dallas, TX). 7:30pm. Airs on Apple TV.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Aloe Blacc. 3Ten at ACL Live. 9pm. Tix $58 and up here.

SUN

~ COMEDY: Louis C.K. ACL Live. 7:30pm. Tix $43 and up here.

~ LIVE MUSIC: Ice Cube. Moody Center. 8pm. Tix $81 and up here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ House Stewart II. Texas House of Representatives. Salary: $4,510/month. Info / apply here.