ICE Shooting in Austin: What Happened and What to Watch
An ICE officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, in north Austin shortly before 1 p.m. on September 20, 2026. Garcés Pérez was delivering a DoorDash food order when ICE encountered him. ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that handles immigration arrests. The Guardian
Video posted online appears to show the officer getting out of his car and shooting three times at Garcés Pérez's car. The car was later seen with a large dent on the front passenger side. Garcés Pérez was hit once in the back between his shoulder blades. The Guardian
City officials initially described the encounter as a shooting during a brief pursuit on foot. Reuters
At the scene, Garcés Pérez told onlookers he had been shot because he had not stopped. Austin police officers rendered first aid while ICE officers stood back, as seen in bystander footage. He was taken to a downtown hospital for treatment. The Guardian
His condition in hospital was described as serious but stable. NBC News He was identified by his immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. NBC News Lincoln-Goldfinch said he has lived in the United States for two years and had been ordered removed from the country, a removal order like a final eviction notice but for the country. The Guardian He was described as an undocumented immigrant, meaning he lived in the U.S. without legal status. Reuters His wife was not allowed to see him at the hospital, according to Lincoln-Goldfinch. The New York Times
He was taken from the hospital by ICE late Sunday afternoon, according to Lincoln-Goldfinch. On the morning of September 21, she said he had been located at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, 140 miles southwest of Austin. The bullet remained lodged in his back. He had no pain medication. The Guardian
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson addressed the shooting at a press conference on Sunday. He said he was angry about a person being shot on the streets of Austin by someone purporting to be law enforcement, particularly ICE. The Guardian Crews later painted over anti-ICE graffiti at the shooting location. Austin American-Statesman
The broader context here is authority and accountability. An arrest power under a removal order still operates within limits on deadly force. Wound location, number of shots, vehicle damage, and the sequence of movement will matter for any review. So will the after-action record of who provided care, who took custody, and what medical documentation went with the transfer from hospital to detention.
Looking at what this means for Austin and for federal enforcement, the next steps are evidentiary. Investigators will need to reconcile the initial description of a pursuit on foot with video showing shots fired at a vehicle. Medical decisions will require scrutiny, including transfer to detention with a retained bullet and without reported pain relief. Whether municipal and federal accounts diverge or converge will shape litigation, oversight inquiries, and public trust.
