Capitol shooting suspect charged

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The officer who first confronted the Capitol shooting suspect, Fausto Cardenas, recounts what happened Thursday afternoon.

The DPS trooper was standing in the south foyer of the Capitol Thursday afternoon when he heard "what sounded like shots being fired on the south steps of the Capitol."

He opened the door and found Cardenas standing on the south steps, reloading a magazine into his handgun, according to the arrest affidavit. The officer approached Cardenas and asked him if he fired a gun.

The trooper noticed Cardenas had a pistol tucked into his waistband. There were "empty shell casing[s] located in the area where Cardenas was confronted."

"There were several troopers that were directly inside that when that heard the first gunshots, they immediately rushed out the door," said Tela Mange, with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

DPS took Cardenas into custody immediately after the shots were fired.

An hour later, troopers surrounded a champaign colored Toyota Corolla. They looked through the windows and brought in bomb sniffing dogs for extra security.  DPS officials said the car was one connected to Cardenas, but it is not his car.

DPS said Cardenas has not given a clear motive as to why he may have opened fire on the Capitol steps.

Cardenas is charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony. That charge could get him 10 years in prison. He could face more charges once the investigation is complete.