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Austin shooting: Charges against 2 suspects dropped, warrant issued for new suspect
Authorities in Austin said Tuesday that charges have been dropped against two teenagers arrested in connection with a mass shooting June 12 that left one person dead and 13 others injured.
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Austin shooting: Charges against 2 suspects dropped, warrant issued for new suspect
June 22, 2021 at 2:51 pm CDTBy Jared Leone, Bob D’Angelo, Kelli Dugan and Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
AUSTIN, Texas — Authorities in Austin said Tuesday that charges have been dropped against two teenagers arrested in connection with a mass shooting June 12 that left one person dead and 13 others injured.
Interim police Chief Joseph Chacon said a murder warrant has since been issued for a third suspect, identified as 19-year-old De’Ondre Jermirris White, who is believed to have been responsible for “shooting many, if not all, of our shooting victims.”
The shooting happened around 1:25 a.m. CDT June 12 in the 400 block of East 6th Street, an area known for its bars and restaurants.
Update 3:50 p.m. ET June 22: Police on Tuesday identified a third suspect wanted in connection with the deadly mass shooting reported June 12 in downtown Austin.
Interim police Chief Joseph Chacon identified De’Ondre Jermirris White, 19, as being “responsible for the murder of Mr. Douglas Kantor as well as shooting many, if not all of our shooting victims.”
Kantor was one of 14 people shot in downtown Austin in the predawn hours of June 12. Chacon said the shooting stemmed from “a disagreement between two groups of individuals from Killeen, Texas” which had begun days earlier.
Previously, police said two people had been arrested to face charges in the shooting. They were identified as an unnamed 15-year-old and 17-year-old Jeremiah Roshaun Leland James Tabb. Chacon said both suspects pulled out guns before shots rang out on June 12.
“The original two suspects arrested in this case ... were each members of these rival groups -- one from each group,” Chacon said.
“Mr. White was also present and pulled a handgun, and based now upon multiple witness interviews, ballistic evidence, video evidence and the positions of the suspect – Mr. White – and the victims, we know that White was the person who fired his handgun, striking Mr. Kantor and multiple other victims.”
Police said White should be considered armed and dangerous and urged people to call authorities if they spot him. He is wanted on one count of murder.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said Tuesday that charges have been dropped against the two previously arrested suspects. The 15-year-old had faced one count of deadly conduct while Tabb faced one count of aggravated assault, according to prosecutors.
“At this point in the investigation, dismissing these charges is what is in the best interest of this investigation and ensuring that we are able to put forward the best case we can as we focus on the person who is primarily responsible for the injury and death that took place on 6th Street,” Garza said.
He added that, “Our office has not made final charging decisions with respect to either young man – or anyone involved in this case, for that matter.”
“As the investigation continues, we will continue to evaluate the conduct of everyone involved,” he said.
Update 9:35 a.m. ET June 15: Police on Tuesday released a booking photo of Jeremiah Roshaun Leland James Tabb, the 17-year-old arrested Monday in connection with a mass shooting that claimed one life and injured 13 others over the weekend.
Authorities in Killeen arrested Tabb while he was in a summer school class on Monday, according to police.
Authorities continue to investigate.
Update 9:24 p.m. ET June 14: According to the Austin Police Department, Jeremiah Roshaun Leland James Tabb, 17, was arrested Monday in nearby Killeen, where he was attending a summer school class, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Another suspect, also a juvenile, was taken into custody Saturday but has not yet been publicly identified due to his age.
A total of 14 people were wounded in the early-morning hail of gunfire along Sixth Street, and 25-year-old Douglas John Kantor died the following afternoon at an area hospital.
Tabb faces an aggravated assault charge in connection with the shooting, and authorities have indicated additional charges involving both suspects are possible, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Texas law recognizes Tabb as an adult, at 17, meaning his case will be handled in the adult criminal court system, KXAN reported.
The prosecutorial status of the first suspect arrested remained unclear Monday night. Texas law allows the District Attorney to try children as young as 14 as adults, depending on the charges levied and the severity of the alleged crimes, the TV station reported.
Update 9 p.m. ET June 13: One man has died of injuries he sustained during an early-morning mass shooting in downtown Austin on Saturday, KXAN confirmed late Sunday.
According to police, 25-year-old Douglas John Kantor succumbed to his injuries at an Austin hospital Sunday at 12:01 p.m.
Kantor was one of 14 people wounded in the shooting in 400 block of East 6th Street.
Authorities have confirmed that one juvenile suspect is in custody, but a second suspect remained at-large late Sunday, KXAN reported.
Joseph Chacon, interim chief of the Austin Police Department, said during a Sunday news conference that most of the shooting victims appear to be “innocent bystanders.”
Update 6:05 p.m. EDT June 12: Police in Austin confirmed that one person is in custody and another remains at large after the shooting that left at least 14 people hurt, KXAN reported.
In a news release, officials with the Austin Police Department thanked the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force for partnering with them to make the arrest.
Update 4:32 p.m. EDT June 12: During a briefing Saturday afternoon, Austin Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said 11 people were receiving treatment at one area hospital, while one victim went to a separate hospital. Another person received treatment at an emergency room, and another self-transported, KXAN reported.
Two patients were listed in critical condition, according to Chacon.
Chacon added that police are looking for two men in connection with the shooting.
“We have developed suspects in this case. There are two male suspects,” Chacon told reporters. “We are actively working to get them into custody.”
Original report: The area is barricaded to keep traffic off the street. Because of its popularity, large crowds there also made it difficult for emergency crews to respond, KEYE reported. In some cases, officers drove victims to the hospital in their patrol vehicles.
Police took six victims, emergency medics took four other people and three others had their own transportation to area hospitals. Two of the victims are in critical condition, while the other 11 victims are in stable condition, police said. No deaths have been reported.
“Our officers responded very quickly,” interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals.”
It is unclear why the shooting started.
Police are still searching for the suspect or suspects. A description of one shooter “was not very detailed,” Chacon said. One suspect was described as a Black male with dreadlocks, wearing a black shirt.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video and asking anyone with information to come forward.
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