AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin man has been charged with murder after police say he fatally shot another man following a fight at a Southeast Austin apartment complex early Saturday.
Shooting at La Cima Apartments
What we know:
Austin police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire around 12:17 a.m. on Saturday at the La Cima Apartments in the 3200 block of Montopolis Drive. When officers arrived, they found 23-year-old Tyris Rivers with a gunshot wound in a breezeway outside an apartment.
Rivers was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:28 a.m., according to police.
Investigators arrested 29-year-old Jaquan Easley at the scene and charged him with murder.
Jaquan Easley
Suspect claims self-defense following apartment fight
What they're saying:
According to an arrest affidavit, officers were told the victim had entered an apartment and assaulted Easley after knocking on the door. A woman inside the apartment told investigators that Rivers forced his way inside and attacked Easley, knocking him to the ground while she yelled for Rivers to stop.
She told police that Rivers eventually walked out of the apartment, after which Easley grabbed a handgun and followed him into the hallway and gunshots were heard moments later, according to police documents.
Police say evidence contradicts suspect's account
Dig deeper:
The affidavit says Easley waived his Miranda rights and told detectives Rivers attacked him a second time in the hallway after the apartment door closed, prompting him to shoot Rivers three times at close range. However, detectives wrote that evidence at the scene did not match Easley's account.
Investigators said the distance between where the gun was fired and where Rivers' body was found was greater than would be expected if the shooting occurred as Easley described. They also said the evidence indicated Rivers was shot from behind and from far enough away that he no longer posed a significant threat to Easley.
Police said Easley remained at the scene after the shooting and was taken into custody.
What's next:
The case is being investigated as Austin's 35th homicide of 2026.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS or Capital Area Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477 or austincrimestoppers.org.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Austin Police Department.