The Eyrie

AUSTIN, TX — Police in Austin say a 20-year-old man wearing zombie makeup and a costume stabbed two people Wednesday night at a southeast Austin coffee shop, leaving one with life-threatening injuries and the other with non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities identified the suspect as Shankar Temple Grace, who has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The Austin Police Department said officers were called to Buzz Mill Coffee at about 8:54 p.m. after a disturbance was reported at the business on Town Creek Drive. When officers arrived, they found two people suffering from stab wounds. Both victims were taken to a hospital by Austin-Travis County EMS and are now in stable condition, police said.

Police say the attack followed a disturbance at Buzz Mill Coffee

According to police, the incident began as a disturbance at the coffee shop before it escalated into a violent attack. Witnesses told officers the man was dressed in zombie-style makeup and clothing when the confrontation happened.

Police have not publicly described what led to the stabbing or what was said inside the shop before the attack. The business, Buzz Mill Coffee, is located at 1505 Town Creek Drive in southeast Austin, and officers responded there late Wednesday evening after the emergency call came in.

Authorities said the case remains under investigation as detectives continue to piece together the sequence of events. For now, the main confirmed details are that two people were stabbed, hospitalized and later reported stable.

Suspect allegedly fled in pickup truck and hit a Tesla Cybercab

After the stabbings, police say Grace left the area in a pickup truck at high speed. During that escape, officers said the truck struck an unoccupied Tesla Cybercab. No one was inside the vehicle, and police did not say the crash caused injuries.

Investigators later located Grace on a walking trail near Rosewood and Chestnut avenues, where he was arrested. Police have not said what prompted the flight or whether the collision with the Cybercab was linked to any additional charges beyond the assault counts already announced.

The arrest ended a search that began after the disturbance call at the coffee shop. Officials said Grace was then booked into the Travis County Jail.

Victims treated for separate levels of injury and now stable

Austin-Travis County EMS transported both victims to a hospital after the stabbing. Police said one person suffered life-threatening injuries, while the second had injuries that were not life-threatening.

By the time authorities gave an update, both victims were in stable condition. Police did not release their names, ages or any other identifying information, and no further details were given about the extent of their wounds.

Officials also did not say whether the victims were employees, customers or connected to the coffee shop in another way. Detectives are still working to determine whether Grace had any relationship with either person.

Witnesses described zombie makeup as officers gathered evidence

One witness told police the suspect appeared in zombie makeup and a zombie costume, a detail that quickly stood out in the account of the night’s events. That description has become one of the most unusual elements of a case that otherwise centers on a serious violent assault.

Police have not said whether the costume had any bearing on the attack itself or whether it was part of a larger dispute. They also have not detailed what other evidence was collected at the scene.

For investigators, witness statements will likely be key as they try to understand how the disturbance started and how it turned into a stabbing. The department has not said whether surveillance footage from the coffee shop is being reviewed.

Austin police ask for tips as detectives review possible links

People at the coffee shop told police the man had caused a disturbance there before Wednesday night, though officers said they could not provide specifics about any earlier incidents. That reported history may become relevant as detectives examine whether there was a prior conflict or some other pattern behind the encounter.

Police said they still do not know whether Grace knew either victim. Establishing that relationship, if any, is one of the questions investigators are trying to answer as the aggravated assault case moves forward.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Austin Police Department’s Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5245. The department has not announced any additional charges or court dates.