Isaiah Atkinson, an 18-year-old Black man, was shot and killed in the early hours of January 1, 2026, at an event center in a business complex on North Lamar Boulevard in Austin. Police responded to a shooting call at about 1:28 a.m., found Atkinson with trauma to the chest, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:45 a.m. The shooting followed a disturbance inside the venue.

Investigators say witnesses pointed to a man known as Third, who allegedly had an ongoing dispute with one witness over a woman and had sent threatening text messages previously. That witness told police Third confronted them and Atkinson outside the venue, used a derogatory slur, then produced a gun and fired two or three shots, striking Atkinson. Using videos and images from social media, police identified Third as 19-year-old Alton Williams III; law enforcement located and arrested Williams on January 7 and booked him on a first-degree felony murder charge with an additional out-of-county misdemeanor. Bond was set at $201,000.

Atkinson had graduated the previous year and planned to become an electrician. His mother Tristan Scott and twin sister Mikalah mourn his loss and plan to seek civil action against the event center and the party promoters. Does anyone have information about the party, the confrontation that night, or video that could help investigators and the family?