Reginald Austin Jr

Reginald Austin Jr., a 31-year-old Black man known to family as "Lil Reggie," was a beloved brother and son. His family described him as sweet, funny, and loving, and his loss created a wound that his loved ones carry every day.

On the night of October 17, 2023, an argument that began inside a pool hall in an east Fort Worth, Texas, strip mall spilled out into the parking lot. The business complex was located in the 6600 block of Brentwood Stair Road, near the interchange of Interstates 30 and 820. At about 11:15 p.m., the confrontation escalated. Surveillance footage captured the moment Mr. Austin was punched and then shot in the chest. Emergency responders transported him to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later.

Fort Worth police officers who responded to the scene arrested 21-year-old Joshua Patterson on suspicion of murder. Authorities stated that during the argument, Patterson pulled out a handgun and fired the shots that killed Mr. Austin.

In November 2025, Joshua Patterson, then 23, reached an agreement with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office and pleaded guilty to murder. A magistrate sentenced him to 28 years in prison. Under the terms of his sentence, Patterson will become eligible for parole after serving half of that time.

A week after the plea, about a dozen of Mr. Austin's relatives gathered in court for a chance to address his killer. His father, Reginald Austin Sr., told Patterson he was confounded that a parking lot fight could lead to a killing. "You really hurt us," he said, adding that he felt 28 years was not enough for taking a life. Mr. Austin's sister, Candra Wilburn, also spoke, telling Patterson that her heart breaks every day for her family. "I was raised to believe that God is a forgiving god and today, I'm choosing to forgive you," she said. "Not because the pain is gone, and not because losing my brother will ever make sense."