In the early hours of Saturday, May 9, 2026, a night out at a North Austin restaurant tragically ended the life of 35-year-old Andres Omar Reyes. A Hispanic male, Reyes was at Los Braseros Mexican Restaurant on North Lamar Boulevard when a fight broke out between two groups of people. According to Austin Police, the altercation involved friends and family of another group. In a selfless act, Andres intervened in the physical dispute, attempting to de-escalate the situation.
It was at this moment that a 16-year-old male suspect involved in the fight produced a firearm and shot Reyes.
Officers were dispatched to the restaurant's parking lot at approximately 12:34 a.m. following reports of the shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Andres Omar Reyes on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services personnel immediately began life-saving measures, but his injuries were too severe. Reyes was pronounced deceased at the scene at 12:46 a.m. An employee of the restaurant bravely managed to wrestle the firearm away from the teenage suspect, but the youth fled the scene before police arrived and remains at large.
The death of Andres, who was lovingly known as "Omar," has been classified as Austin's 24th homicide of 2026. The Austin Police Department's homicide detectives are actively investigating the case and are seeking the public's help in locating the 16-year-old suspect. A reward of up to $1,000 has been offered for any information that leads to an arrest. As of now, no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed in connection with this senseless act of violence. The case remains a painful and unresolved tragedy for his family and the Austin community, a stark reminder of how a person's life can be cut short while trying to be a good samaritan.
