Austin murder arrest: Man charged in March shooting, linked to second shooting
AUSTIN - Austin police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a March murder and another shooting.
Police arrested Kent Outten, 33, on Tuesday, May 13 and charged him with the murder of Rex Johnson.
Rex Johnson shooting: March 31, 2025
Rex Johnson, 33, was found shot and killed in the early morning hours of March 31.
Witnesses told police that Johnson was standing next to his blind friend, who uses a cane, when two suspects approached them. One suspect knocked Johnson to the ground and the other shot him.
Suspects in Austin deadly shooting near I-35
Austin police released new video of two suspects walking to and running from the scene of a shooting.
Video shows the suspects walking to the area before the shooting and then running east from the scene after the shots were fired.
Johnson later died at the hospital.
An arrest warrant affidavit says that the suspects were walking from an area known as "The Island" at the intersection of Cesar Chavez St. and Brushy Street. In the affidavit, police describe the area as "one of several ‘open air’ drug markets in the downtown area."
Johnson had an unopened bag of K2 in his pocket at the time of the shooting, according to police.
East Cesar Chavez shooting: April 9, 2025
Police say another shooting occurred on April 9, on East Cesar Chavez.
The victim of the shooting survived and described two suspects in the shooting as known drug dealers "N.O. and K.O," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
The victim told police he owed "K.O." money and he was shot in the torso when he told the man he was unable to pay him back.
Due to the description of the suspect and the drug-related nature of the shooting, detectives determined the suspect in that shooting was also responsible for Johnson's killing.
Kent Outten arrest
Kent Outten
What we know:
An arrest warrant affidavit for Outten says that the Texas Lone Star Fugitive Task Force identified a man who matched the description of the shooter in the March 31 and April 9 incidents purchasing a gun on March 26.
In video from the store, the suspect was wearing the same unique vest.
Police say Outten was arrested after a foot chase on E. 7th Street on Tuesday, May 13.
What we don't know:
APD did not give an update on the second suspect in the March 31 shooting.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Austin Police Department and an arrest warrant affidavit for Kent Outten.