Police say a man in zombie makeup stabbed two people at an Austin coffee shop, then fled and hit an unoccupied robotaxi before his arrest.
Story Snapshot
- Two people were stabbed at The Buzz Mill in southeast Austin and taken to a hospital, where they were later stable.
- Police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Shankar Temple Grace and filed two aggravated assault charges.
- The fleeing pickup allegedly struck an unoccupied autonomous vehicle described as a robotaxi.
- Officers found the suspect on a walking trail about three miles from the scene and arrested him.
Police Account Of The Stabbings And Response
Austin police reported responding at about 8:54 p.m. on October 28, 2026, to The Buzz Mill at 1505 Town Creek Drive. Officers found two people with stab wounds. One had life-threatening injuries, and one had non-life-threatening injuries. Both were taken to a hospital and later listed as stable. Police said the attacker wore zombie-style Halloween makeup during the incident. The department has not released victim names. These details were carried by local outlets citing police statements.
Police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Shankar Temple Grace. He faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Reports said he was booked into the Travis County Jail after his arrest. The initial description came from police communications reported by regional media. Authorities did not release a motive. Investigators also did not say whether the stabbing started inside the coffee shop or nearby outdoors, and they did not describe the weapon that was used.
Flight, Robotaxi Collision, And Arrest Location
Police and local reports said the suspect left the area in a pickup truck after the stabbings. During the flight, the pickup struck an unoccupied autonomous vehicle described as a robotaxi. No injuries from that crash were reported. After the collision, the driver fled on foot. Officers later found a suspect on a walking trail near Rosewood and Chestnut avenues, which is about three miles from The Buzz Mill. He was taken into custody there, according to these reports.
Outlets that quoted police said the autonomous vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the crash. Some reports referred to it as a Tesla Cybercab or robotaxi. Police had not released a crash reconstruction or telemetry data when those reports ran. That kind of vehicle data often sits with the operator and can require cooperation to review, which can slow details reaching the public record.
Charges, Injury Status, And What Comes Next
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a serious felony under Texas law. Two counts were filed against Grace, reflecting the two wounded people in this case. The victims were transported by medics and later described as stable by outlets citing Austin police. That status update signaled that emergency aid was effective, at least in the first hours after the event. Police have not released further medical details, and the victims’ identities remain withheld in public reports.
Minutes before a free comedy show, a man in zombie makeup turned an Austin coffee shop into a crime scene, police say.
Shankar Temple Grace, 20, is accused of stabbing two people at Buzz Mill Coffee on Wednesday night, then speeding off in a pickup and slamming into an empty…
— TechPulse Daily (@DailyTechpulse) October 29, 2026
This case drew attention because it mixed a Halloween costume, a crowded coffee spot, and a crash with a driverless vehicle. Crime coverage often rises when a story feels unusual or dramatic, which this one did. At the same time, early police statements usually arrive before full records, like videos or affidavits, are public. Expect more documents in the weeks ahead, including court filings and possible crash reports, as the case moves through the legal process.
Sources:
whmi.com, kfoxtv.com, kxan.com, statesman.com, fox4news.com, theaustin.org, redalyc.org
