Suspect arrested in shooting at Southeast Austin apartment complex

 On April 7, 2021, arrest warrants were obtained on O’Neal for first-degree felony murder and second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – serious bodily injury.

The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force has arrested a suspect on first-degree murder charges following a shooting in Southeast Austin Tuesday morning. 

On Tuesday, April 6, at approximately 12:26 a.m., Austin 911 says it received a call about a male subject that had been shot in the parking lot of the apartment complex located at 7330 Bluff Springs Rd. 

Austin-Travis County EMS and APD officers arrived on the scene. Despite life savings efforts, police say the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 12:49 a.m.      

Homicide investigators and crime scene personnel arrived on the scene and began to investigate.

According to witnesses, the suspect was seen leaving the apartment complex in a white four-door sedan. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and determined the official cause of death to be a gunshot wound and the manner homicide.  

Through further investigation, homicide detectives say they were able to identify a suspect, Francois O’Neal.

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Police say O’Neal was found with a weapon in his possession that matched the ballistics to the murder scene. The ballistics also matched shell casings recovered from a shooting that occurred on April 5, 2021, just 24 hours earlier at 12820 N. Lamar Blvd. The victim’s shooting injuries, in that case, were not life-threatening.  

On April 7, 2021, arrest warrants were obtained on O’Neal for first-degree felony murder and second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – serious bodily injury.

O’Neal was arrested by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force later that same evening. His bond has been set at $1,000,000 ($750,000 for homicide and $250,000 for aggravated assault).  

This is Austin’s 22nd homicide of 2021.

Detectives are asking anyone with information or video of the incident to call APD Homicide at 512-974-TIPS, email homicide.apd@austintexas.gov, utilize the Crime Stoppers tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), or the Crime Stoppers app. You may remain anonymous.  You can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, free on iPhone and Android. 

Southeast AustinCrime and Public Safety