On the afternoon of August 11, 2025, Adam Chow, 65, was fatally shot while sitting in a car in the Target parking lot at 8601 Research Boulevard in North Austin. Chow was with his wife and his 4-year-old granddaughter when a gunman who had already shot and killed a Target employee opened fire on their vehicle about 2:15 p.m.; the granddaughter was also killed and Chow’s wife suffered minor injuries. Officers and medics arrived within minutes, but both Chow and the child were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified 32-year-old Ethan Nieneker as the suspect and say the attacks were unprovoked and random. After the killings he allegedly stole the family’s car and set off a violent spree around the city that included crashes, assaults, and property damage before being captured in South Austin. Early filings charged him with multiple counts of murder and additional charges tied to the rampage, and a mental health evaluation was ordered. The child has been named by family as Astrid Fung; the Target employee was named as 24-year-old Rosa Martinez Machuca, who was collecting carts when shot.

Chow is remembered in community tributes as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.