Man in a Zombie Costume Charged With Stabbing Two People at an East Riverside Coffee Shop, Police Say
Austin police say a 20-year-old in zombie makeup stabbed two people at Buzz Mill Coffee on Town Creek Drive just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, fled in a pickup, and was arrested on a nearby walking trail. Both victims are now in stable condition.
A Halloween-week night at an East Riverside coffee shop ended with two people in a hospital and a 20-year-old in the Travis County Jail. Austin police say Shankar Temple Grace is facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly stabbing two people at Buzz Mill Coffee, 1505 Town Creek Drive, just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday. FOX 7 Austin reported Grace was still in jail as of Thursday afternoon.
Officers responded around 8:54 p.m. for a disturbance and, with ATCEMS, found two people suffering from stab wounds. Both were taken to a local hospital - one with life-threatening injuries and the other with non-life-threatening injuries - and police said both are currently in stable condition. Witnesses told investigators Grace was wearing zombie makeup and a costume during the incident, KTSA reported; FOX 7 described a Halloween costume.
Police say the suspect fled in a pickup truck at high speed, striking an unoccupied Tesla Cybercab on the way out. Officers searched the area and found him on a walking trail near Rosewood and Chestnut Avenues, where he was arrested and later booked into the Travis County Jail.
What police have not said is why. APD released no information on a potential motive, detectives are investigating whether Grace knew either victim, and patrons told police the man had caused disturbances at the business before Wednesday night, though authorities gave no further details. Anyone with information is asked to contact APD's Aggravated Assault unit at 512-974-5245.
