Ramesh Thapa, a 39-year-old Nepalese man, was fatally shot in the parking lot of his Southeast Austin apartment complex on April 7, 2021. Thapa, who had lived in Austin about 11 years, was returning home from work when the shooting occurred; police received a 911 call around 12:26 a.m. EMS medics pronounced him dead at the scene. The Travis County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide from a gunshot wound.

A suspect, 23-year-old Francois O’Neal, was arrested the following day and was found in possession of a gun believed to be used in the shooting. That weapon also matched shell casings from a nonfatal shooting the day before. O’Neal was charged with first-degree felony murder and second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury; his bail was set at $1 million. Court documents noted possible mental health issues.

The Nepalese community in Austin has been deeply affected; friends and family described Thapa as gentle and hard-working, and the Greater Austin Nepali Society started a GoFundMe to help with funeral and travel costs. The Austin Police Department has not released information about a motive. Did anyone in the community see or hear anything in that apartment complex the night of April 7 that could help investigators?