AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin man has been charged after police said he shot his roommate multiple times in the leg and later threw the weapon into Lady Bird Lake.
The incident happened around 8 p.m. at the Hillside Creek Apartments at 1730 E. Oltorf Street on Saturday. The victim was taken to a local trauma center with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
Police met with the victim at St. David's South Austin Hospital who said he was invited to move into the apartment by another roommate. He claimed the suspect, 38-year-old John Manuel Zimmers, was constantly belligerent to everyone else in the apartment and would often start fights and cause strife among the other roommates.
On this day, the victim said Zimmers was upset with him being at the apartment and demanded that he leave. When the victim refused, he said he challenged Zimmers to a fight. So, he grabbed a broom and said Zimmers grabbed a kitchen knife and eventually a rifle. When he got the rifle and pointed it at him, the victim said fellow roommates attempted unsuccessfully to get the weapon away from Zimmers and the suspect eventually shot him in the leg. The victim then left the residence to ask neighbors for help.
When police arrived, officials said Zimmers approached them and said he was the person they were looking for. He was then taken to police headquarters for questioning.
Zimmers told police he felt there were too many people living at their apartment and his roommate told him the victim would only be staying with them for a little while. He reported the victim made several derogatory comments about the way he dressed and his sexual orientation.
On the day before the incident, Zimmers told police that the victim had said something disrespectful to him, and Zimmers told him to leave the house and not to return. He said another roommate escorted the victim out of the apartment and he left. The following morning, Zimmers said he found the victim sitting on the steps outside of the apartment and he eventually came inside. He then described the events that led to the incident and said he shot the man twice in the leg.
After this, Zimmers said everyone had left the apartment and he didn't know what to do. He said he was worried about one of the residents, his cousin, because he is a convicted felon and believed he would get in trouble because of the rifle being in the apartment, so he walked to Lady Bird Lake and threw it into the water.
Zimmers was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and tampering with evidence.
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