Austin Michael Thomerson, 55, was shot multiple times and died on November 20, 2019, in Houston, Texas, after confronting an armed robbery at the EZ Pawnshop on Bellaire Boulevard. A licensed carry holder and a well-known figure in the guitar sale and repair community, Thomerson exchanged gunfire with the robbers and later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Houston Police opened an investigation into the robbery and shooting. Two suspects, Fredrick Gibson and Kerry Vallery, were charged with capital murder in connection with the incident. Gibson was arrested in Louisiana on an unrelated matter and was awaiting extradition to Texas; Vallery was taken into custody at his Houston residence. Investigators believe a third suspect remained at large.

Thomerson’s death resonated through the local music community, where friends and colleagues described him as a hero for trying to protect others. Does anyone who knew Austin or who was in the Bellaire Boulevard area that day have information that could help investigators?