Matthew Pichardo,Derick Fajardo-Reyes Obituary, Death; – This week, two teenage boys were fatally shot in separate incidents on different sides of Austin.
The Austin Police Department is treating the deaths of 16-year-old Matthew Pichardo and 15-year-old Derick Fajardo-Reyes as homicides. Authorities have apprehended one suspect in connection with Pichardo’s death, while the search continues for the individual responsible for Fajardo-Reyes’s shooting.
Pichardo was discovered unresponsive shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday, following multiple reports of gunfire on Bradsher Drive in South Austin. His body, found outside a residence, exhibited clear signs of gunshot wounds, and he was declared dead at 10:34 p.m. Witnesses identified a juvenile male suspect who fled the scene, but he later surrendered to the Gardner Betts Juvenile Center and has been charged with first-degree murder related to Pichardo’s death.
Fajardo-Reyes was found unresponsive shortly after 3 a.m. on Monday, following reports of a shooting on Harrisglenn Drive in Tech Ridge. He was discovered inside a black sedan that had collided with a utility pole. After being transported to a hospital, he was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m.
Authorities report that a suspect fled the scene and remains unidentified. They are also seeking information about an unknown female who was reportedly with Fajardo-Reyes prior to the shooting. Witnesses indicated that Fajardo-Reyes was in the vehicle with others when the incident occurred.
These incidents represent the 10th and 11th homicides in Austin this year, according to police records. Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding either shooting to contact them via the website austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.
