Timeline breaks down Zilker neighborhood shooting, alerts

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Both the Austin Police Department and Austin Independent School District Police have vowed to improve communications and safety protocol following a shooting in the Zilker neighborhood Wednesday that injured an APD officer and left a woman braindead.

The suspect was ultimately detained a block away from Barton Hills Elementary school when police said a homeowner shot the suspect as he trespassed onto their property.

KXAN has compiled a timeline of events based on information from APD and AISD, and information obtained through an open records request.

• 3:31 a.m.: Officers located a stolen car in the 700 block of Azie Morton Road while doing a curfew check at Zilker Park.
• 4:10 a.m.: Officer Adam Reinhart, a 6-year veteran, addressed two people he saw exiting the treeline. They said the car was theirs. Reinhart identified himself and told them "multiple" times to come out of the woods. Reinhart told the man - identified as Brandon Thompson - to take his hands out of his pockets. Thompson fired shots shortly after, striking the woman he was with - Kay Smith - in the head, and striking Reinhart in the abdomen. Reinhart returned fire and Thompson ran back into the woods.
• 5:27 a.m.: A "shelter in place" message was sent to people registered for Warn Central Texas alerts "within the designated radius of the incident." You have to opt-in for these alerts. Additionally, people not near the shooting scene notified KXAN they also received this alert.
• 6:30 a.m.: "A follow-up message lifted the shelter in place." At this time, Thompson still had not been captured, and doors were set to open at Barton Hills Elementary School within the hour. Chief Davis said she had "serious concerns" about how the shelter in place got lifted. Meanwhile, AISD said one of its police officers was on scene at the command center as of 6:30. The district said Monday that APD did not give any directive to the AISD officer on scene about delaying school.
• 6:34 a.m.: Another message went out from APD through Warn Central Texas, "advising contacts to avoid the area due to heavy police presence."
• 6:59 a.m.: "AISD police leadership was briefed to ensure they were all aware of the situation and the status of the suspect, who remained outstanding," according to APD. The district told KXAN Monday it was around this time that AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed spoke with Superintendent Matias Segura, and Segura was preparing to direct a delay, but the principals of the Zilker area schools told him the majority of students had arrived already. Sneed also said on Friday that “there were kids already on the bus, already en route, so the focus was securing the campus as kids were arriving."
• 7:02 a.m.: The City's law department sent an email to AISD Police after learning Barton Hills and Zilker Elementary Schools were operating business-as-normal, saying "APD's advice and recommendation is to shut both schools down until the areas are secure, at minimum for a delayed opening. It is the City's and APD's position to do the above as suggested."
• 7:30 a.m.: Doors open at Barton Hills Elementary. But the district said, because of what was going on, staff were on hand to escort students inside as they arrived, even if it was before 7:30.
• 7:44 a.m.: AISD staff at Barton Hills called APD to report a suspicious person. The school was already in a "secure" - meaning class goes on as normal, but no one leaves the building - but APD said the school went into a "lockdown" status once school staff learned Thompson was near campus.
• 7:52 a.m.: APD officer spots Thompson, who police said ran to a house on Homedale Drive, kicked open the front door and ran inside. At that point, the homeowner shot Thompson in the arm and the leg.
• 8:31 a.m.: A follow-up message was sent through Warn Central Texas once again advising contacts to avoid the area due to a heavy police presence.
• 8:57 a.m.: Final message alert sent lifting the shelter in place and advising public to resume normal activities.

The Austin Police Department still has not explained how the premature alert about the shelter in place being lifted went out.

Chief Sneed said the district is now working on developing safety protocols for pickup and drop-off, because current policies only surround times when students are already on campus.

Officer Reinhart is recovering, but expected to be okay.