A week after a shooting at a North Austin motel sent a 56-year-old man to the hospital, the case has turned fatal. The Austin Police Department says the victim, identified as Se Hun Park, was shot in the chest around 7:32 p.m. on May 8 at the Budget Inn on North I-35. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died at 6:48 p.m. on May 14.
Investigators later identified 24-year-old Sean Walton as the suspected shooter. Officers located Walton in Cibolo on May 10, and he was taken into custody. He remains held in Guadalupe County.
What investigators say
According to APD, Park had been involved in a verbal argument with the suspect shortly before the shooting. The confrontation unfolded at the Budget Inn at 9106 North I-35 in north Austin. After shots were fired and the suspect left the scene, officers obtained a warrant and began searching for him, CBS Austin reports.
Arrest and charges
The Austin Police Department says Walton was arrested May 10 in Cibolo. He faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Bonds in those cases were set at $150,000 and $50,000, respectively.
Walton also faces drug charges out of Guadalupe County, where bonds total $32,000, according to the department.
Where the case stands
Park’s death is being investigated as Austin’s 25th homicide of 2026, a running tally cited by local media and law enforcement, per CBS Austin. Detectives are still processing evidence from the motel and following up on leads as the case moves through the county system.
How to help
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS or send an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers. Investigators are especially interested in hearing from witnesses or anyone who may have video or other evidence from around the Budget Inn on May 8, the department says.
