One year later: Community gathers on 6th Street to honor those killed, injured in deadly shooting

Community gathers on 6th Street to honor those killed, injured in deadly shooting

Loved ones of Doug Kantor invited the other victims' family and friends to join them on the corner of 6th and Neches.

AUSTIN, Texas - June 12, 2021, was supposed to be part of a celebration for Doug Kantor. Having recently graduated with his master’s degree, Kantor was visiting Austin from Michigan with friends.

However, a celebration turned into a nightmare. Kantor was killed in a shooting on 6th Street that left more than a dozen others hurt.

Fast-forward a year, and loved ones of Kantor invited the other victims' family and friends to join them on the corner of 6th and Neches.

"This is where he was murdered and we’re not going to let that go," said Larry Lightner, Kantor’s uncle, at Sunday's event.

Family of man killed in Sixth Street mass shooting asking Travis County DA for justice

A hearing is set for Tuesday for the teenager accused of shooting and killing Doug Kantor during a confrontation between two groups last year.

Despite tragedy, the Kantor family hopes effective changes come as a result.

"Together we can do something positive with what’s happened, instead of it just being another statistic, we can make a positive change for this city," said Nicklaus Kantor, Kantor’s brother. "So that my brother didn’t die in vain, and we could get some kind of closure knowing that my brother’s life wasn’t taken for no reason."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Efforts to improve safety on 6th Street have been ongoing since the shooting. Most recently, city councilmembers voted on Thursday to install more HALO cameras and look into providing bars with metal detector wands. Other changes previously implemented include improved lighting and creating a designated staging area nearby for first responders.