AUSTIN, Texas — Authorities are dropping charges against two teenagers who police said were involved in a fight that led to a Sixth Street mass shooting earlier this month and are now looking for a new suspect.
De'ondre Jermirris White, 19, is wanted on a murder charge, and investigators believe he is responsible for the shooting death of Douglas Kantor, a 25-year-old tourist, as well as the shooting injuries of 13 others. The shooting was Austin's worst mass casualty incident in seven years.
"We believe that, with the help of the public and other law enforcement agencies, he will be in custody soon," Travis County District Attorney José Garza said.
People who have information about where White is should call 911 or, if they want to remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 512-472-8477.
Interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon, right, and Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza talk about the 6th Street shooting at a news conference at the district attorney’s office on Tuesday June 22, 2021.
The charges will be dropped against Jeremiah Tabb, who was arrested a week ago on a charge of aggravated assault, and a second teen whose name and charges are not public because he is a juvenile.
While Garza stressed at a news conference Tuesday that the best course of action was to focus on prosecuting White, Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon defended the original arrests that investigators made in the case.
"I want to make sure that people understand that these two individuals were involved," Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon said. "These are not people who were innocent bystanders or were somehow incorrectly identified as being involved in this case. I think that is important for people to understand. In the end, these individuals had weapons and might have otherwise done greater harm to our community."
Investigators have no evidence that Tabb or the unnamed teen fired their guns, Chacon said.
In Tabb's arrest affidavit, filed on Wednesday, investigators described a verbal altercation between multiple Killeen teenagers who had come to downtown Austin. The altercation led to gunshots being fired in the 400 block of East Sixth Street, police officials said.
Investigators said that one of the teenagers had been shot in the leg by Tabb in Killeen days before the Austin shooting.
Austin-Travis County EMS medics, Austin Fire crews and Austin police responded at 1:25 a.m. to the scene. Investigators said security video footage from the area shows people dropping to the ground as gunshots rang out. People were found covered in blood and spread out on the street and nearby sidewalks.
