AUSTIN — Just hours before a drive-by shooting that killed a man and injured two at a North Austin hookah lounge Sept. 23, a security guard told police he got into a confrontation with two men at the front door, affidavits obtained by KVUE found.
At around 2:30 a.m. that morning, the security guard said he was standing outside by the door of Paris Hookah Lounge when he saw two men walk up ot the entry line and begin arguing with someone who was waiting in the line. The manager told them to leave, the affidavit said. The men were identified in the affidavits as Alexis Panchi and Julio Panchi.
Several minutes later, the security guard said Alexis Panchi and Julio Panchi walked back up, this time with a third man who said, "I am not with them." The security guard let the third man into the club. As the third man walked behind the security guard, the security guard said Alexis Panchi and Julio Panchi started running at him.
The security guard told police he started spraying them with pepper spray. He said at this time, he believes the third man who was let in pushed him from behind. Alexis Panchi and Julio Panchi allegedly began hitting the security guard.
Other customers and security guards came to his aide and pulled the men off of him. The third man ran away.
The manager later told the security guard that because the men were going to leave, they did not need to call police, the affidavit said. The security guard, who said he was still suffering from his injuries from the alleged attack, went to the Austin police headquarters on Sept. 25 to give a statement about the fight. Alexis Panchi and Julio Panchi face assault with injury charges, a third degree felony.
Later that morning, at about 4 a.m., a man was killed in a drive-by shooting that happened at the same hookah lounge. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the shooting.
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