Family Members Speak Out After Shooting Spree in South Austin: Victims Identified as Sabrina Rahman and Emmanuel Pop Ba

Families of the victims in South Austin have spoken out following a shooting spree that left six people dead and three injured across Austin and San Antonio. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, December 5, with two individuals losing their lives on Shadywood Drive.

The victims have been identified as 24-year-old Sabrina Rahman and 32-year-old Emmanuel Pop Ba. Rahman’s uncle, Marshall Hussain, revealed that she and her family had recently moved into a new home on Shadywood Drive. He described Rahman as “the sweetest person in the world” and expressed his family’s shock and disbelief over the tragedy. They had moved to the area just two days before the incident, with Hussain stating that they hadn’t even finished unpacking.

Pop Ba, on the other hand, was a close friend and handyman. Mario Gabriel Cas, Pop Ba’s brother, shared that he was shot while eating lunch in his truck, which was subsequently stolen. Cas expressed his grief and frustration, emphasizing that he and his brother had come to the United States to provide a better life for their families.

Hussain recounted the horrifying details of Rahman’s final moments, revealing that she had pushed her baby behind a car to protect them before being shot in the face by the suspect. He criticized the police for not alerting the community sooner about the dangerous suspect, as he had committed another crime earlier in the day in close proximity to the neighborhood.

Both families are now making plans to repatriate the bodies of their loved ones. Pop Ba’s family intends to bring his body back to Guatemala, his home country, while Rahman’s family hopes to bring her body back to Bangladesh, where her parents reside.

This tragedy has left the South Austin community devastated and has sparked concerns about the communication efforts of the Austin Police Department. While the officers’ bravery and hard work in apprehending the suspect have been praised, community members believe that better communication could have prevented some of the tragedies that occurred during the shooting spree. The families are seeking justice and relying on the authorities to bring closure to this horrific incident.