Crime
20-year-old Matthew Escalante killed after shooting in east Austin
The Austin Police Department (APD) is actively investigating a homicide that occurred in East Austin last week, involving the death of 20-year-old Matthew Escalante.
Officers initially responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the 2600 block of Rosewood Avenue at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.
Upon arriving, officers found Escalante suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital but, despite medical efforts, he passed away on November 8.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Escalante had gone to meet someone when he was suddenly ambushed and shot by an unidentified suspect.
The shooter then fled the scene, accompanied by additional suspects, according to APD.
This incident has been classified as Austin’s 58th homicide of 2024.
Detectives are urging anyone with information regarding the suspects or the events leading up to the shooting to come forward to aid in their ongoing investigation.
The APD requests that individuals with potential leads contact them directly at 512-974-TIPS.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program, either by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be offered for information leading to an arrest in this case.
Jackson, Miss. – Authorities are investigating a violent assault and attempted robbery that took place in the stadium parking lot of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC).
The incident occurred as the victim, identified as Morgan McGuire, was leaving work.
McGuire reported that she was approached by a stranger who initially demanded money.
However, despite her verbal and physical attempts to surrender her purse, the attacker ignored her offer and proceeded to assault her.
“He asked for my money, so I verbally and physically offered him my purse, but he ignored me. He threw me to the ground and kept beating me,” McGuire recalled.
During the assault, she was punched, choked, and thrown to the ground while her attacker repeatedly threatened to shoot her.
Although the suspect demanded her purse, McGuire noted that the attack did not appear to be motivated by robbery alone.
The assault only ended when a passerby intervened, which McGuire described as occurring “after what felt like forever.”
UMMC confirmed that the UMMC Police Department, in coordination with Capitol Police, is actively investigating the attack.
“We take seriously the safety of everyone on our campus and will continue to work with our partners, including Capitol Police and other law enforcement, to uphold this commitment,” UMMC stated.
Authorities have not yet released a description of the suspect, and it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made.
Officials urge anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.