5:15 p.m. update: Rashad Charjuan Owens had been in Austin to perform at an East Austin venue before police say he plowed through a crowd of South by Southwest festival-goers early Thursday morning downtown.
His brother, Lamar Wilson, told the American-Statesman that he last saw Owens on Wednesday evening before his show at Club 1808 near 12th and Chicon streets. Owens, whose stage name is KillingAllBeatz or K.A.B254, was the father of six young children, one of whom lives in Alaska, Wilson said.
His brother had been studying music production at an online university and had borrowed the car he was in from a friend named Andrew Bramwell, Wilson said
Christopher Haug, chief of media relations for Fort Hood, told the American-Statesman that Bramwell was a soldier at the Killeen military base and had reported his car stolen Thursday morning. Haug said Owens was not a Fort Hood solider.
Wilson said he was shocked by news of collision. “He’s a real good dude, he was in college and making music, and was trying to live regular,” the brother said.
Earlier: Rashad Charjuan Owens was raised in a Christian home in Killeen, enjoys producing music and had been trying to go forward in life to do good and provide for his toddler son, his grandmother told the American-Statesman on Thursday afternoon.
Reached at her home in South Carolina, his grandmother said she was grief-stricken and shocked to hear of the allegations against her grandson.
“I pray. I pray. I pray,” she said, declining to give her name as she did not yet know the full details of what happened overnight Thursday and was still processing the shock. “He is good. He is so good. …Whatever happened was out of his control, I am sure.”
Austin police have said that capital murder charges will be filed against the 21-year-old suspected drunken driver, who they say plowed through a crowd of South by Southwest festival-goers early Thursday morning in downtown Austin, killing at least two people.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said the man will face two charges of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault. Police officials confirmed the identity of the suspect to the American-Statesman just before noon Thursday.
A search of public records shows Owens had several misdemeanor arrests out of the Fairbanks Fourth District in Alaska, including being charged with minor under the influence and criminal trespass. In October 2011, he was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and a petition to revoke probation, the Fairbanks records show.
He pleaded guilty only to the DUI misdemeanor charge, and prosecutors dismissed the misdemeanor offense for fleeing, according to the filings.
He has an active warrant in that state for failure to appear, court filings show.
Owens was arrested by the Killeen school district Police Department in September 2010; he pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor, according to a search of public records. He appears to have no criminal history in Travis County, according to court records.
His grandmother told the newspaper that she had learned news of the latest case upon the call from an American-Statesman reporter. She said Owens had been born in South Carolina but went to school in Killeen, where he was living with his family. According to public records, he was born in the West Texas town of Sonora.
The grandmother said she kept a close relationship with Owens, who often called home and had last visited relatives in South Carolina for his 21st birthday. He appeared to have been doing well and was loved by his family, she said.
“I just don’t know what happened,” she said, her voice mournful.
For full background on this developing story, read here.
Correction: Owens was set to perform at an East Austin club at 1 a.m. Thursday, according to his brother. The headline of this story has been corrected to reflect that.
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