Austin gas station shooting: Family of man killed believes his death was unjustified

AUSTIN, Texas - Family, friends and community members gathered in North Austin to release balloons in memory of 42-year-old Marquis Demps. 

Demps was shot and killed outside an East Austin gas station on Jan. 21. His family believes his death was unjustified.

"I love my son. My son was a good person," said Lola Reed, Demp’s mother.

Those in attendance at the balloon release were Demps’ family, friends, coworkers, and wife of 22 years.

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"If you know my husband, you know me. If you know me, you know my husband," said Wanda Mitchell, Demps’ wife.

Demps was shot and killed outside a Shell gas station on East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd last weekend. Before he was shot, Austin police revealed Demps was involved in an altercation inside the store with one of the employees, 25-year-old Yaseen Naz.

APD says Naz grabbed a gun and told Demps to leave. As Demps was leaving, Naz proceeded to follow him out and shoot him multiple times through his car window. Naz is now behind bars charged with first degree murder.

Yaseen Naz was arrested for murder and booked into the Travis County Jail. (Austin Police Department)

"I'm hurt. I'm angry. He needs justice," said Mitchell.

Mitchell admits her husband was not perfect, but she says she believes not everything that happened that night was his fault and warranted his death.

"When he left at that store, that should have been it. If he scared you, if you were scared of what he did to you, whatever happened in that store, you should lock the door and call 911. You went outside and murdered him, and it's not fair. It's not fair. It's not fair," she said.

Naz is being held on a $1 million bond charged with first degree murder.