On the evening of April 17, 2024, at about 9:01 p.m., Austin police responded to a reported shooting near the basketball courts at Bartholomew District Park, 1800 East 51st Street in East Austin. Officers found 33-year-old Tayjay Stephens inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m.

Homicide detectives and crime scene specialists processed the scene and interviewed witnesses who were at the park. No arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive and it is unclear whether Stephens was targeted or if the shooting was random. The police urged anyone with information to contact the APD Homicide Unit Tip Line at 512-974-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers, which is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Did anyone see activity near the park that evening or have information that could help investigators?