On the evening of April 3, 2021, 31-year-old David Allen Austin was shot and killed at the intersection of Donald and Webster Streets in South Bend, Indiana. Officers who responded just before 9 p.m. found Austin with a single gunshot wound to the chest; he could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy confirmed the wound as the cause of death and the manner was ruled a homicide.

The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit interviewed witnesses, including a 72-year-old man who fired the shot. According to one eyewitness who did not know either man, Austin approached the older man in an aggressive, boxers stance while the shooter backed away with his firearm lowered. The shooter told investigators Austin had punched him in the head and that he feared another blow could be fatal. After reviewing physical evidence and witness statements, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office determined the shooting was justifiable self-defense and announced in July 2021 that no criminal charges would be filed. The shooter was not arrested and the investigation was closed.

If anyone witnessed the confrontation or has information not already reported, please share what is known.