Ethan Nieneker, the man suspected of killing three people outside a Target store in North Austin this week, had repeated run-ins with law enforcement in the past decade for alleged assault, according to police and court records KUT News obtained from Travis and Williamson counties.
The records reveal at least two girlfriends and one roommate accused Nieneker of violently attacking them, including strangling and punching, but that he appears to have spent little time behind bars over the years.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Nieneker was also placed on emergency mental health holds in previous years, raising questions about breakdowns in the system to protect him and others. Davis has acknowledged Nieneker’s history should have raised red flags…