SXSW Crash Suspect Was There To Perform
Now that Austin police have released the name of the alleged drunk driver responsible for this week’s horrific and deadly SXSW hit-and-run, details about him have begun to emerge. According to The Austin American-Statesman, Rashad Charjuan Owens, 21, is a father of six from Killeen, Texas, about 70 miles north of Austin. He’s also an aspiring musician who was in Austin Wednesday night to perform at Club 1808. Owens, who raps and produces under the names KillingAllBeatz and K.A.B254, is studying music production at an online university, his brother Lamar Wilson told The Statesman. Here’s some of his music via Heavy:
This wasn’t Owens’ first drunk driving incident. While living in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2011, he was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and a petition to revoke probation. Public records show he pled guilty to the DUI and the rest of the charges were dropped, but he has an active warrant in Fairbanks for failure to appear in court. The Statesman also reports that Owens was driving a car belonging to Andrew Bramwell, a soldier at Fort Hood near Killeen. Wilson said Owens borrowed the car from Bramwell, but according to Fort Hood’s media relations officer Christopher Haug, Bramwell reported the car stolen on Thursday morning and that Owens is not a soldier at Fort Hood.
Owens is facing two charges of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault and could face the death penalty if convicted on the murder charges.