Started at the Perry Castaneda Library

Update: Shooting at the University of Texas, one suspect dead, SWAT moves in onsecond building

Jay Janner tweeted: "The scene at the UT campus, which is under lockdown"
Photo by Jay Janner/Twitter
My Fox Austin maps the scene.
From Twitter user Blakeley McCracken: "View of library from the McCombs BusinessSchool. Empty outside, but we're in lockdown. Lots of sirens."
Photo by Blakeley McCracken/Twitter

Early this morning a single shooter at the University of Texas at Austin opened fire at the campus' Perry-Castañeda Library, then took his own life.

With the shooting largely first reported via campus Twitter users, police are said to be looking for a second suspect due to conflicting physical descriptions. No injuries to anyone besides the confirmed first shooter have been reported. The campus is on lockdown as the police search for a possible second suspect.

The first Twitter reports about the library shooting started coming in a little after 8 a.m. UT officials sent out an e-mail to students, urging them to stay indoors and later officially cancelled all classes and closed the university for the day. A police spokesperson says the first shooter had an AK-47 assault rifle and was wearing a ski mask and all black clothes. One student told an Austin TV station that he was in the lobby of the library when the gunman walked in carrying the AK-47, and said that the gunman headed for the stairs, past a few dozen people, without firing a shot.

Reports of a second shooter center around Calhoun Hall. SWAT team and an armored tank are reported to have arrived at that building, with the SWAT team entering with dogs. Those on campus are advised to stay inside.

The University of Texas has been without incident for years, but was the site of one of the United States' most deadly school shootings on Aug. 1, 1966, when Charles Whitman killed 16 people and injured 31 others from his post atop a tower.

You can watch a live-stream of the situation here. For more on the search for the second suspect, read the latest

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana