Armed man killed during BLM protest in Austin
Garrett Foster attended the protests almost every day over the past 50 days, according to his mother.
Police have identified the man who was shot and killed during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin. His name was Garrett Foster and he was armed.
Authorities say the shooting happened on Saturday night as dozens of people marched against police brutality, blocks away from the Texas State Capitol.
“The vehicle honked, turned onto a street, and sped through the protesters before he apparently hit an orange barrier and stopped,” Michael Capochiano, a bystander, told the Austin American-Statesman.
“A protester [Foster] with a rifle approached the vehicle and was shot by the driver, who then drove off,” he said.
Medics arrived at the scene and the man was then transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Police say the suspect is cooperating with them, and they are now investigating the shooting as a homicide.
Good Morning America interviewed Sheila Foster, who says Garrett was her son.
Foster says Garrett was attending the protest with his fiancee, Whitney. Foster received the news of the shooting after Whitney’s mom reached out to her on Facebook.
According to Foster, the two attended protests almost every day over the past 50 days. Garrett was against police brutality and wanted to support his fiancee who is African American. The two were together since they were 17.
A GoFundMe page has has been set up to pay for his funeral expenses. As of Sunday afternoon, $50,000 had been raised.
READ MORE: Minnesota passes historic police reform bill two months after George Floyd’s death
The protests in Austin were largely sparked by police brutality across the U.S., including the death of George Floyd. Floyd died in May at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
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