A shopping trip in north Austin turned deadly on August 11, 2025, when 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker, claiming to be “Jesus,” opened fire outside a Target, killing three — employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, 24; Adam Chow, 65; and Chow’s 4-year-old granddaughter, Astrid Fung. Chow’s wife was injured but survived. Police Chief Lisa Davis called it an “unprovoked and deliberate attack” on “innocent lives.”
Police say Nieneker first shot Machuca, then attacked the Chows in their car before fleeing in their SUV. His rampage included carjackings, assaults, and crashes across the city. Witness Chris Ferran recalled, “I’m not letting anybody get away with this, so I chased him down and called 911.” Nieneker was arrested naked in a residential area after officers used a Taser.
He has a long criminal record, including felony domestic violence. Sergeant Nathan Sexton said, “There was really no reason whatsoever given. It was a completely random choosing of the victims.”
The Chow family remembered Adam as the “heart and steady backbone” of their lives and Astrid as “pure silliness and joy.” Target offered condolences and grief support. Nieneker faces two counts of capital murder and one of felony murder.
Two weeks earlier, a mass shooting in Manhattan left four dead, including an NYPD officer.
Ask ChatGPT
