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Gone quiet · last update Oct 20, 2026 / Austin

The shooting of Wilber Garces Perez by an ICE officer in Austin

Overview · reviewed October 23, 2026

An ICE officer shot and wounded Wilber Garces Perez, a Venezuelan man, in Austin, Texas, in September 2026.[1] His attorney challenged the shooting, while federal prosecutors later charged him with assaulting an officer. A court denied his release, and he underwent surgery to remove a bullet.[2][3][4][5]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

His attorney challenged the shooting, while federal prosecutors later charged him with assaulting an officer. A court denied his release, and he underwent surgery to remove a bullet.[2][3][4][5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 13%, 61 of 480 tracked outlets (15 left, 36 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 16%, 78 of 479 tracked outlets (17 left, 47 center, 14 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 9%, 44 of 476 tracked outlets (13 left, 21 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 479 tracked outlets (0 left, 3 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 5 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (4 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 19, 20260303 of 4791%
Sep 28, 202613211044 of 4769%
Sep 21, 202617471478 of 47916%
Sep 14, 202615361061 of 48013%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 20, 2026 · first reported · Headline from Fox7 Austin

    Austin ICE shooting: Man shot by agents formally indicted

Background

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot Wilber Garces Perez in the torso during an encounter in North Austin on September 20, 2026. His attorney said he had been delivering food.[1][5] His family and lawyers questioned the handling of his hospitalization and detention.[2] Organizers called an emergency protest in Austin after the shooting.[6]

The officer was not wearing a body camera, according to reporting on the encounter.[7] Austin police later released body-camera and cellphone footage from their response.[7] Homeland Security Investigations, the federal department's investigative arm, led the federal review, while Austin police and the Texas Rangers also investigated.[8]

Federal prosecutors charged Garces Perez with assaulting an officer.[3] He appeared in court and was denied release on the federal criminal charge.[4] In October, a federal him on one count of assaulting, resisting, impeding and obstructing a federal officer.[9] Later reporting said surgeons removed the bullet from his back and that he was recovering in hospital.[5]

Supporting stories (9)
  1. A Venezuelan man was shot by ICE in Austin while doing deliveries. Here’s what we know
  2. Attorney says Wilber Garces Perez did not deserve to be shot by ICE officer
  3. Federal prosecutors charge Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent in Austin, Texas with assaulting an officer
  4. Man shot by ICE in Austin will not be released after hearing on federal criminal charge
  5. Bullet removed from man shot by ICE agents in Austin, wife says
  6. Socialist, communist groups coordinate, promote ‘spontaneous’ anti-ICE protests in Austin
  7. ICE officer who shot Austin man wasn't wearing body camera: Reports
  8. Who's investigating the Austin ICE shooting? Here's what we know
  9. Man shot by ICE in Austin federally indicted

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 13 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. Man shot by ICE in Austin federally indictedHeadline from KXAN Austin · 3 outlets
  2. Bullet removed from man shot by ICE agents in Austin, wife saysHeadline from KXAN Austin · 13 outlets

September 2026

  1. Man shot by ICE in Austin will not be released after hearing on federal criminal chargeHeadline from Border Report · 7 outlets
  2. Federal prosecutors charge Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent in Austin, Texas with assaulting an officerHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 41 outlets
  3. The DHS Debunks Media Myths on Austin ICE Shooting of Illegal ImmigrantHeadline from The Righting · 5 outlets
  4. Austin leaders to give update on ICE shooting investigationHeadline from KXAN Austin · 2 outlets
  5. Austin ICE shooting: Rep. Greg Casar voices outrage over incidentHeadline from Fox7 Austin · 2 outlets
  6. Socialist, communist groups coordinate, promote ‘spontaneous’ anti-ICE protests in AustinHeadline from New York Post · 6 outlets
  7. Texas shuts down rioters, Democrats fan the flames after ICE shootingHeadline from Blaze Media · 2 outlets
  8. Who's investigating the Austin ICE shooting? Here's what we knowHeadline from KXAN Austin · 5 outlets
  9. Attorney says Wilber Garces Perez did not deserve to be shot by ICE officerHeadline from News Nation Now · 3 outlets
  10. ICE officer who shot Austin man wasn't wearing body camera: ReportsHeadline from The Hill · 9 outlets
  11. A Venezuelan man was shot by ICE in Austin while doing deliveries. Here’s what we knowHeadline from KEYT Santa Barbara · 97 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →