The Austin community is reeling from a tragic incident that occurred late Sunday night when Jamie White, an Infowars reporter, was killed during what appears to have been an attempted car burglary. The incident took place outside of the Chandelier Apartments in southeast Austin, a detail confirmed by both CBS Austin and KXAN.
According to a police briefing early Monday morning, authorities were summoned to the 2300 block of Douglas Street around 11:57 p.m. where they discovered White with critical trauma in the parking lot. Efforts to save his life were made on the scene before he was transported to the hospital, where he passed away at 12:19 a.m. The Austin Police Department, as reported by KXAN, believes the suspects were attempting to burglarize White's vehicle when he confronted them, leading to the fatal shooting. No suspect descriptions have been released, though the public has been asked to report any similar car burglaries from that night.
The death has prompted a wave of reaction. One neighbor, Trenere Belton, expressed to CBS Austin her desire for a change of scenery in the wake of the incident, saying, "Things have changed over time, and it's time for a different scene, different area." She also emphasized her wish to find out who was responsible, adding, "I really would like to know who has done this because I know for a fact that guy probably did not bother anybody."
Infowars founder Alex Jones took to social media to lament the situation and point fingers at local policy, stating that the reporter's death was due "in part to the policies of the Soros Austin, TX DA Jose Garza," a sentiment reported by CBS Austin. The office of District Attorney Jose Garza responded to the accusatory claims with a statement saying, "Our hearts go out to the family of Jamie White. It is shameful but not surprising that Alex Jones is trying to exploit the victim’s death for political gain." They further reaffirmed their dedication to bringing justice for White.
As the community grieves, the Austin Police Department has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday to share more details about the investigation. Meanwhile, Infowars has remembered White in a post, saying, "Jamie was a light we were blessed to experience as much as we did. He’s a one-of-a-kind man who poured his devotion in anything he did," according to a tribute posted on Monday. The case marks the eighth homicide of the year that APD has investigated, and they continue to seek tips from the public. Anyone with information on the homicide can contact the APD homicide tip line at 512-974-8477 or the Crime Stoppers line at 512-472-8477, where tips can be left anonymously.
