A man dressed as a zombie allegedly stabbed two people at an Austin, Texas, coffee shop on Wednesday night before fleeing the scene in a pickup truck and colliding with an unoccupied robotaxi. The suspect, identified as Shankar Temple Grace, 20, was later arrested by the Austin Police Department.
Authorities responded to reports of a "disturbance hot shot," a classification indicating a rapidly escalating altercation, at The Buzz Mill, a coffee shop and bar, shortly before a scheduled comedy show. Upon arrival, first responders discovered one victim with life-threatening injuries and another with non-life-threatening injuries. Both were transported to a local hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
Witnesses told police that Grace was wearing a Halloween costume and had makeup on his face, disguising him as a zombie. Some patrons also reported that the suspect had caused a disturbance inside the establishment prior to the stabbing. After the incident, Grace fled in a pickup truck, driving erratically before striking an autonomous vehicle. Police initiated a search and located Grace approximately three miles from the coffee shop on a walking trail.
Grace was booked into the Travis County Jail and faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.