AUSTIN, Texas — Police released new details in several recent homicides in Austin, calling the uptick "concerning."
So far in November, Austin has seen seven homicides, with four in just a single week. Police said they don't believe any of the incidents are connected, but it's taxing of officers due to ongoing staffing shortages.
Arrests have been made in five of the seven cases, including the most recent one that happened Saturday at an apartment complex on Rutland Drive. A gunshot fired next door killed 46-year-old Jessica Shaw.
"This is particularly tragic because of the recklessness of human behavior," officials said on behalf of Cmdr. Lee Davis.
"Mrs. Shaw is a person experiencing homelessness and was visiting a friend at the time of the murder," Det. Michael Decker added.
Noah Mata was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery. Police said Mata tried to steal the gun after taking a picture of it, which led to a fight and two men wrestling for control. A man fired the gun at Mata in apparent self-defense but missed and shot Shaw in the chest while she watched television.
Prosecutors said Mata wasn't charged with murder, but charged for allegedly trying to steal the gun which set off the chain of deadly events.
Recent homicides stemmed from disagreements
According to police, a lot of recent incidents stemmed from fights and disagreements, including the murder of Travis Holland.
Court documents revealed William Bruce was charged with murder after allegedly killing Holland. The shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing dispute between residents in a North Austin complex.
An unidentified day laborer was also allegedly stabbed to death in South Austin over a comment Luis Marroquin "did not like." Marroquin was charged with murder in what police called an unprovoked attack.
"Be kind to one another. Talk. Communicate," Askew said. "We can't get to a common place ... without communication, and I would encourage people to again, be kind."
Is Austin seeing a spike in homicides?
Austin's homicide rate compared to population growth shows the rate is up, but the numbers need context.
For most of the 2010s, Austin saw between two and four homicides per 100,000 residents each year.
That number spiked in 2021 to about nine homicides per 100,000 people. Austin recorded 88 homicides that year following a nationwide trend that saw spikes in crime during the pandemic.
However in the years since, the numbers have fallen to a little over seven homicides per 100,000 people. More than 60 homicides have been recorded so far this year, which is about six homicides per 100,000 people.
"We're slightly ahead of where we were last year at this time, but it's not by much," officials said Tuesday.
While police are concerned about the spike, their real concern is the strain on their resources and officers. However, police said it's hard to quantify if the staffing shortages have impacted the investigation of the recent homicides.