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Woman shot dead during brawl between residents fleeing Hurricane Laura

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Homeless woman is killed after being struck by a stray bullet fired during a massive brawl which broke out between 60 Texas residents fleeing Hurricane Laura

  • Brawl broke out in downtown Austin shortly after midnight on Thursday
  • The unidentified victim was simply making her way through the area at the time she was shot  
  • No one has been arrested over the incident; Austin police say they were ‘stretched thin’ with four other shootings also reported during the night
  • The brawl involved people who had evacuated from cities in Texas’ southeast
  •  Around 385,000 residents were told to flee the cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur due to Hurricane Laura
  • Five people have been killed since the hurricane made landfall early Thursday 

A Texas woman has been shot dead during a massive brawl between residents fleeing from Hurricane Laura. 

The victim – who has not been publicly identified – was struck by a stray bullet shortly after midnight Thursday when she unexpectedly became caught up in the altercation, which took place in downtown Austin. 

According to police, two large groups, each consisting of around 30 people, were in the city after evacuating from coastal areas further to the south.  

A confrontation ensued and things soon turned physical. Two opposing men drew guns, and one of them fired a bullet into the crowd. 

It struck the victim, who happened to be making her way through the area. 

A homeless woman was shot killed after being struck by a stray bullet during a massive brawl in Austin overnight.

A homeless woman was shot killed after being struck by a stray bullet during a massive brawl in Austin overnight. 

Vision shot by KDFM showed multiple police cars at the scene and the area taped off for an investigation

Vision shot by KDFM showed multiple police cars at the scene and the area taped off for an investigation

She was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly before 1am.  

Officials say she was a homeless woman who was simply a bystander, and was in no way involved in the clash.  

No one has been arrested over the death. 

Vision shot by KDFM showed multiple police cars at the scene and the area taped off for an investigation. 

However, the Austin Police Department say they were ‘stretched thin’ during the night.  

Four additional shootings were reported in the city on the same night. 

Residents in parts of Texas further to southeast had evacuated to Austin to escape Hurricane Laura, which was expected to slam into areas close to Houston on Thursday evening. 

Around 385,000 residents were told to flee the cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur. 

No one has yet been arrested over the woman's death. The Austin Police Department say they were 'stretched thin' during a night in which four other shootings were reported

No one has yet been arrested over the woman’s death. The Austin Police Department say they were ‘stretched thin’ during a night in which four other shootings were reported 

The eye of the storm slammed into neighboring Louisiana, killing at least four people and causing tens of millions of dollars damage

The eye of the storm slammed into neighboring Louisiana, killing at least four people and causing tens of millions of dollars damage

One Texas resident Texas was killed in the hurricane when a tree fell through their mobile home.

However, the eye of the storm slammed into neighboring Louisiana, killing at least four people and causing tens of millions of dollars damage. 

Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana early Thursday morning as an ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 hurricane. 

It brought strongest winds that Louisiana has seen since 1856 and warnings that the storm could rip apart buildings and penetrate up to 200 miles inland. 

A 14-year-old girl in Leesville, Louisiana, died when a tree fell on her house early Thursday. 

Just hours later, three more fatalities were reported due to falling trees in Louisiana, including a 60-year-old man in Acadia Parish, and another man in Jackson Parish. The location of the fourth Louisana death is yet to be announced. 

Residents in Lake Charles have been urged to stay inside with their windows closed and air conditioners turned off after a massive chemical fire broke out at a nearby manufacturing plant. Billowing clouds of smoke could be seen near Interstate 10.

Louisiana Gov Bel Edwards tweeted: ‘There is a chemical fire in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area. Residents are advised to shelter in place until further notice and close your doors and windows.’

 Hurricane Laura is expected to track northeast, moving through Arksansas before tearing through Kentucky and West Virginia late Friday. 

The windows of the city's 22-floor Capital One Tower were blown out shortly after Hurricane Laura damaged other buildings in the area on Thursday in Lake Charles, Louisiana

The windows of the city’s 22-floor Capital One Tower were blown out shortly after Hurricane Laura damaged other buildings in the area on Thursday in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Louisiana Gov Edwards tweeted Thursday morning that a massive chemical fire has broken out at a plant in Lake Charles

Louisiana Gov Edwards tweeted Thursday morning that a massive chemical fire has broken out at a plant in Lake Charles

A damaged travel trailer sits among flood water after Hurricane Laura passed through the area on Thursday in Holly Beach, Louisiana

A damaged travel trailer sits among flood water after Hurricane Laura passed through the area on Thursday in Holly Beach, Louisiana

This graphic shows wind gusts from Laura which was downgraded to a tropical storm by Thursday afternoon

This graphic shows wind gusts from Laura which was downgraded to a tropical storm by Thursday afternoon 

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