1st homicide of 2026: Austin police investigating

Austin police investigate homicide

The Austin Police Department is investigating the first homicide of 2026.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department is investigating its first homicide of the new year.

What we know:

APD says it received a call from the 700 block of West Anderson Lane at around 1:30 a.m. 

The call was about a disturbance at a party in a nearby strip mall.

"At approximately 1:28 this morning Austin 911 received a call of a disturbance at a party that was taking place somewhere here in the strip mall here," said Corporal Matthew Norweiler with APD.

When officers arrived, they found a victim with trauma to their chest.

APD says CPR was performed, but the victim died from their injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

This was believed to have been an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.

What we don't know:

Police have not released the identity of the victim or the exact manner of their death.

No suspect information is available and there is no one in custody at this time.

Police said there were witnesses at the party, but it is currently unclear how much information investigators have been able to gather from them.

Resident reacts

1st homicide of 2026 in Austin

Austin has seen a violent beginning to 2026 with a fatal shooting in North Austin at a New Year's Eve party.

What they're saying:

"Those people, they were just trying to celebrate their new year, trying to spend time together. And just like that, like, their life got taken from them," said Ana Solis who lives in the neighborhood.

Solis has lived in that neighborhood her entire life.

"It's a very sad and very also eye- opening again because it was something that nobody would have expected," said Solis.

She says the incident hits too close to home.

"I actually walk by there almost every morning to go to work or to go to school. So it's very eye-opening to see how close the danger was when people started talking about the incident," said Solis.

Solis says the incident has prompted her to take extra precautions into the new year.

"I feel like for sure I'm going to be looking both ways now when I walk and I'm going to make sure that I'm home by before I get started because I feel that's just when things start getting crazy," said Solis.