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Police Say Austin Shooter Had Extremist Views, Planned Bigger Attack

Filipa Rodrigues
/
KUT
The scene outside Austin police headquarters on Nov. 28 following a shooting by Larry McQuilliams.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Details emerge about the man who shot at downtown Austin buildings; Texas will spend an additional $86 million to beef up border security; animal lovers will gather for a candlelight vigil in Fort Worth; and more.

A Texas man who shot up downtown Austin buildings and tried to burn the Mexican Consulate before he was gunned down by police harbored extremist right-wing views and appeared to be planning a broader attack against churches and government facilities, officials say. Larry McQuilliams, 49, had multiple weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a map of 34 downtown buildings that likely were potential targets in Friday’s pre-dawn rampage, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said. He also had the words "Let me die" written on his chest, KUT in Austin reports. [Associated Press]

  • What can Texas schools do to help immigrant students? It's the focus of the latest installment in a KERA American Graduate series called Generation One. Julian Vasquez Heilig has spent years studying how schools educate immigrants. He’s a professor at California State University, Sacramento, and shared his thoughts on what can be done to help immigrant students, high-stakes testing, and a possible breakthrough in North Texas. Listen to his interview here. And explore the interactive series here.

  • Texas will spend an additional $86 million to beef up border security. The Legislative Budget Board on Monday approved Governor Rick Perry’s plans to replace Texas National Guard units with state troopers. Democrats on the board expressed concerns about a militarized border. Illegal crossings along the Rio Grande have slowed dramatically since this summer. Still, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, a Republican, said an emergency continues along the border – and that the so-called surge of additional enforcement is necessary. Read more from the Texas Tribune. [Associated Press]

  • Animal lovers will gather at 6 p.m. at Fort Worth City Hall to hold a candlelight vigil for the animals who have been euthanized at the city animal shelter. Too many cats and dogs are killed in the city shelter, the vigil organizers say. Learn more about the vigil here.

  • Platon, a photographer for the New Yorker and other magazines, will speak at 8 p.m. at SMU. He’s the latest speaker in the university’s Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series. SMU says he has photographed well-known world figures, including more than 120 heads of state. “Platon has produced more than 20 covers for TIME magazine and his photo of Vladimir Putin for the magazine’s 2007 ‘Person of the Year’ cover won first prize at the World Press Photo Contest. He has exhibited in New York at the Matthew Marks Gallery and the Howard Greenberg Gallery, as well as at the Colette Gallery in Paris. Buy tickets here.
Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.