Man arrested after string of shootings, victim speaks out

Police have arrested a man who they say is responsible for string of shootings in South Austin.

33-year-old Kaabee Crowder is charged with four counts of aggravated assault.

One victim who was shot by Crowder, and didn't want to be identified for safety reasons, says he feels, "relief, because in my head after I got out of the hospital, I was traumatized, I was scared, I was paranoid, I didn't know if somebody was out to kill me or if somebody had a grudge against me or if this was a random shooting."

On Sept. 2, his truck broke down near South Congress and Eberhart.

"I was minding my own business, and I was taking a break from fixing my truck, and I have a camper on the back of my truck, and I was on the top resting with my dog," he said. "All of a sudden I just hear gunshots, he pretty much emptied a clip on me, but only five of them hit me in my legs."

He ran towards the gas station for help.

"I was losing consciousness. A cop arrived on scene and right when he got there, he made it just on time to actually save my life. I was pretty much seeing the darkness, and I was scared," he said.

He says he's grateful for the first responders.

"I kept asking officers, 'don't let me die, don't let me die,'" he said. "Thanks to the APD, the first responding officer there, he actually really saved my life."

He says he was in the hospital for a week and half, and it took about a month to fully recover. He still has to take breaks from walking.

He is one of three victims who were injured in a string of shootings.

"I just was lost on why the guy chose to shoot me. I don't know the guy period. I've never seen him in my life," he said.

Police said on August 30, officers responded to a shooting at Park West Inn, located in the 2600 block of S IH-35, when a witness pointed out Crowder rummaging through the bed of a pickup truck. When he saw he was being watched, police say he drove off while firing several rounds. No one was injured.

Two days later, police say Crowder fired at a person in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven in the 6500 block of S IH-35. The victim wasn't injured.

On Sept. 14, police responded to a shooting at another 7-Eleven, located in the 200 block of Ben White Blvd. Two victims were in a vehicle on William Cannon Dr. and Bluff Springs Rd. when police say Crowder approached them and fired several rounds, hitting both of them. The victims were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

When asked about what he would say to the suspect, the victim who was shot in the legs said, "when I was dying, I asked Jesus to forgive him, everybody makes their mistakes, taking somebody's life that has nothing to do with what's going on in his life is pretty drastic. I hope he gets better. I hope he gets his time, but at the same time I hope he opens his eyes to the reality of what's going on."

Kaabee Eduardo David Crowder, 33, was arrested on Oct. 18 and charged with four counts of aggravated assault. 

Police say in each incident, the suspect description appeared to be consistent and the National Integrated Ballistics Network was able to link the shootings to the .40 caliber cases recovered at the scenes.

In the arrest affidavit, a family member of Crowder says he "suffers from a mental health diagnosis" and described him as "schizophrenically calculated." 

Anyone with information about these or similar incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or use the new Crime Stoppers App.