The new year began in tragedy for the family of Isaiah Atkinson, an 18-year-old Black male who was fatally shot in the early hours of January 1, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Atkinson had been attending a New Year's Eve party at an event center in a business complex on North Lamar Boulevard. The celebration turned deadly when a disturbance broke out inside the venue, resulting in Atkinson being shot in the chest. Police responded to a call about the shooting at approximately 1:28 a.m.
and found Atkinson with trauma to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:45 a.m.
The investigation into Austin's first homicide of 2026 quickly focused on identifying a suspect. Witnesses at the party provided crucial information, with one individual telling police they had been in a dispute with a man known as "Third" over a woman they had both previously been involved with. This witness reported that "Third" had sent threatening text messages in the past. On the night of the shooting, "Third" allegedly confronted the witness and Atkinson outside the venue, called the witness a derogatory name, and then pulled out a gun. He fired two or three shots, striking Atkinson. The witness believed the shooter had intended to target them, not Atkinson, and that the two did not know each other.
Utilizing videos and photos from a TikTok account and a reverse Google image search, investigators were able to identify "Third" as 19-year-old Alton Williams III. On January 7, the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Williams in Pflugerville. He was transported to the Travis County Jail and faces a charge of first-degree felony murder, along with an out-of-county misdemeanor. His combined bond was set at $201,000.
Isaiah Atkinson's family, including his mother Tristan Scott and twin sister Mikalah, are left to mourn the loss of a young man who had graduated the previous year and had plans to become an electrician. His mother described the immense pain of losing another son, as her eldest had died the day after Christmas five years prior. The family has expressed their desire for justice and has announced plans to file a lawsuit against the event center and the party's promoters.
