Family remembers teen killed at South Austin birthday party
AUSTIN, Texas - On Thursday, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested a 19-year-old in Round Rock for the murder of an Austin student-athlete.
Austin Police say Coolidge Humphries killed 19-year-old Javone Montre Hodges just after midnight on June 20 in South Austin. Humphries is also accused of shooting and injuring another young man.
Police say the shooting happened at a birthday party. A partygoer told police the incident occurred after Humphries and Javone Montre Hodges briefly argued over "unidentified females."
"I wish I can just rewind from last week, just so I can tell my son ‘hey just stay home.’" Javone Montre Hodges’ mother, Keesha Hodges, told FOX 7 Austin.
After Humphries shot Javone, the partygoer told police Humphries looked "directly" at her while waving a firearm and shouted, "I’ll shoot any motherf----r in here that looks at me wrong, and I’ll shoot you." She told police Humphries stood over Javone and "appeared to have no remorse for the shooting."
"It hurts. It hurts deep. Especially being on… Juneteenth. Black on Black crime. Our people, men of color hurting each other. Two families destroyed… A young man that had a very very promising future, academically and athletically just gone for no reason. Senseless violence." said Coach Greg Padgitt of Mesabi Range Junior College.
Padgitt recruited Javone to play for Mesabi Range. He was a 2020 Northeast Early College High School graduate. "He was destined for success and this guy took it away from him," said Keesha Hodges.
Javone would have reported to the Mesabi Range campus in less than a month. "Montre's legacy is his smile. When you saw his smile you saw his soul. He would give you the shirt off his back. He wanted [success] so bad. He wasn’t gonna take no for an answer. I know that. I told him no several times." said Padgitt.
Padgitt told FOX 7 Austin Javone was the last opportunity given for the season. He had dreams to play at a four-year school and study criminology.
"I knew he was gonna make it. He was gonna be one of those special kids that was gonna raise his family to where they needed to be. He was the man of the house. And he walked like it, he talked like it, he acted like it. Very mature beyond his years. As we say an ‘old soul.’"
Keesha Hodges says her son was a loving big brother to his three- and one-year-old siblings. "Literally they go in his room now and just lay in his bed. I haven’t been able to tell them their brothers not coming back." she cried. "You know every night I lay with his blanket just so I can smell my son because he’s not there anymore. I shouldn’t have to do that, I should be able to hold my son and hold him here."
Austin is experiencing a surge in violent crime. Javone Montre Hodges was the city’s 39th homicide of 2021. Two other men were killed the same week. With 41 just six months into the year, the city has already surpassed its homicide totals for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 which are as follows:
- 2021: 41 (as of June 24)
- 2020: 48
- 2019: 33
- 2018: 32
- 2017: 27
- 2016: 40
The city’s population has grown approximately four percent over the past five years. Meaning overall, the homicide rate is increasing faster than the city’s population.
Javone Montre Hodges's longtime friends had a message for the community Friday. "Just put the guns down. Just stop all the violence." said Xavier Otems.
"Stop shooting people," added TJ Clark, who played football with Javone as a child. The two were excited to again play on the same team at Mesabi in the fall.
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MORE HEADLINES:
Austin on track to surpass 2020 homicide count
Suspect in Austin birthday party shooting apprehended in Round Rock
South Austin shooting at a birthday party leaves 1 dead, 1 injured
1 dead, 1 injured after shooting at South Austin birthday party
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