Man Dressed as Zombie Allegedly Stabs Two at Austin Coffee Shop, Crashes Into Robotaxi While Fleeing

A young man dressed as a zombie allegedly stabbed two people at a coffee shop in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday night. The attack took place at The Buzz Mill, a coffee shop and bar. The Austin Police Department (APD) identified the suspect as Shankar Temple Grace, 20, who was arrested after a search.

Police said the incident unfolded shortly before a local comedy show was scheduled to begin at the establishment. Officers responded to reports of a "disturbance hot shot" inside the business — a classification for a rapidly escalating altercation involving an immediate threat to life or serious physical harm.

First responders found one victim with life-threatening injuries and another with non-life-threatening injuries. Both victims were rushed to hospital and were last reported to be in stable condition, according to authorities.

After the stabbing, the suspect fled in a pickup truck, speeding away before striking an unoccupied autonomous vehicle, KEYE reported. Officers launched a search and eventually located him on a walking trail roughly three miles from the scene.

Police said the suspect was wearing a Halloween costume at the time of the attack. A witness told police the man was dressed as a zombie with his face covered in makeup, according to KEYE. People at the establishment also told police the man had caused a disturbance at the bar before Wednesday night's stabbing.

Grace was booked into the Travis County Jail and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.