13-year-old arrested in deadly north Austin apartment complex shooting
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said a 13-year-old was arrested and charged with murder in connection with a deadly shooting at a north Austin apartment complex.
Police previously said Francisco Muntufa Miranda, 21, died following the shooting at the Avalon Palms complex, located at 9300 Northgate Blvd., on Jan. 8.
Police look for leads after deadly north Austin shooting
On March 25, investigators obtained a “residential search warrant,” which was in the area of Loyola Lane and Decker Lane, according to police. This investigation then identified the teenager as a suspect who was “in possession of multiple extended capacity pistol magazines that were linked to the murder weapon,” police said in a news release.
This is when investigators also determined the juvenile was involved in “several other shootings,” which included a drive-by shooting that happened in December 2023 at a north Austin convenience store, the release said. Police said nine victims, ranging from ages 4 to 15-years-old, were inside the store at the time of the drive-by.
In a previous APD press conference about the case, a homicide detective said police believe the shooting was a random act of violence. He added witnesses told officers that several people ran from the scene after the shooting in the parking lot.
On March 26, the teen was arrested for murder, as well as five charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center, according to police.
Additionally, police said another juvenile was arrested in connection to the drive-by shooting.
No other details were released Thursday.
How this case may be handled
“It’s very sad when a child as young as 13 is accused of a terrible crime. Because the question becomes, how did this child get in a situation in which they’re making the kinds of decisions that result in life or death for the community?” said Claire Carter, an attorney with Claire Cater Legal Services.
Carter, who also does advocacy work for juveniles, said an adolescent might get involved in crime if they lack proper supervision at home and have to develop impulse control.
“The impulse control is often lacking in young people — most often males, but it’s true of all teenage people,” she said. “Their decision-making is impaired by the fact that their brains have not fully developed yet.”
In Texas, the minimum age a child can be tried as an adult is 14. In cases where the crime is severe, and the child is considered “mature and sophisticated,” prosecutor might have the ability to try a defendant as an adult, Carter said.
“At 13, that option is not even available for the courts, because the presumption is that a child at 13 is not equipped in any way to go into the adult system,” she added.
In this case, Carter said prosecutors might consider determinate sentencing — which would keep a child convicted of a crime in custody beyond their eighteenth birthday.
“Five years will probably not be considered enough time to make up for the death or deaths that may have been caused in a situation like this,” she said.
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