Mitchell Levard Austin, 37, a Black man from Columbus, Texas, was shot late the night of May 17, 2025, on the 1100 block of Walnut Street and died shortly after at Columbus Community Hospital. Officers responded about 11:30 p.m. after reports of gunfire; Austin was transported by Colorado County EMS and pronounced dead from his injuries. Early reports said he had been shot multiple times.

Investigators treated the death as a murder and appealed for tips. Within two days authorities obtained an arrest warrant for an 18-year-old, Jose Raul Quezada III of Columbus. On May 19 members of the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force located Quezada at a Houston hotel and arrested him without incident; he was charged with murder, a first-degree felony. Detectives continued to seek witnesses and details about what happened on Walnut Street that night.

If anyone saw activity on the 1100 block of Walnut Street or has information about the shooting, please share what is known with investigators.