Alex Arce

Alex Arce was a 25-year-old White man known for a beautiful smile that could light up any room and a laugh that was instantly infectious. A 2017 graduate of the University of Texas, he had worked for corporate offices at Uber and Apple in Austin. His family remembered him as an ambitious adventure seeker with a big heart who would drop everything to help someone in need. He loved the outdoors and took every opportunity to hike, kayak, or paddle board. A social person who relished meeting new people, Alex left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

His life was cut short on the morning of November 8, 2020. Just before 7:30 a.m., Austin 911 received a call about a shooting at the Landmark Barton Creek Apartments on Spyglass Drive. When officers arrived, they found Alex Arce with a gunshot wound. Despite life-saving measures performed by first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:45 a.m.

Homicide investigators interviewed Jason Ray Hardison, 38, who was present at the apartment. Hardison told police that he and Arce had gotten into a physical struggle over a gun that Arce was trying to take from the residence. According to Hardison, the weapon discharged during the struggle, striking and killing Arce.

Following the initial investigation, police arrested Hardison and charged him with manslaughter. He was booked into the Travis County Jail with his bond set at $20,000. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office was tasked with conducting an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death. The case reached its legal conclusion a year later. In November 2021, Jason Hardison pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Alex Arce's death.