Bare Cabaret shooting: Victim's father speaks out
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - A father is speaking out after losing his 19-year-old daughter in a shooting outside a Travis County cabaret over July 4th weekend.
Investigators have identified two suspects who are wanted.
What they're saying:
"A parent’s worst nightmare," Layla Williamson’s father, Antwan Williamson said, describing the moment he learned his daughter Layla had been killed.
"It was a shock. I thought I was dreaming. I think I'm still dreaming," Williamson said.
Layla Williamson (Antwan Williamson)
Now, just days after her death, he is holding on to memories of the daughter he said could light up any room.
"She was a spark. She was the…when she walked in the room, everybody was like, hey, Layla's here, so that's when the party got started," Williamson said.
What should have been a holiday weekend with friends, ended in tragedy.
"She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," Williamson said.
Layla Williamson (Antwan Williamson)
While detectives search for the suspects, Williamson is focused on honoring his daughter’s life.
"She's not just another homicide, another senseless act, she is our child, she's our friend, our sister, our aunt, cousin, she was somebody, she still is somebody. So another act of senseless violence, another gun victim, but it's not fair, and I just want justice," Williamson said.
The backstory:
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office said Layla Williamson and 23-year-old VT Wood-Davion Olden Hornsby were shot and killed outside Bare Cabaret early Sunday morning.
Investigators said a fight in the parking lot escalated into gunfire just before 4 a.m. With nearly 400 people inside and outside the club, deputies arrived to a chaotic scene.
Eastern Travis County shooting deaths
A fight in a crowded parking lot outside a Travis County gentlemen's club early Sunday escalated into a shooting that left a man and a woman dead, authorities said.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office announced arrest warrants for two people:
- 19-year-old James Mackeise Shearrion
- 20-year-old Kevin Curtis Parrish
Both are wanted on charges of murder of multiple persons, a capital felony.
Records show Parrish currently has 4 active cases for unlawful carrying of a weapon, prohibited weapon, and evading arrest. He had been accepted into a diversion program back in April and had a review coming up.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office said additional warrants may be issued.
The Source: Information in this report comes from an interview and reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.