AUSTIN, Texas — No charges will be filed after a woman died Monday morning in Downtown Austin.
In an update, Austin police said Shannon Smith was found bleeding in an alley on East Sixth and Neches streets just after 1:30 a.m. She was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.
During their investigation, police learned Smith was armed with a knife and tried to rob a man in a wheelchair of his money and drugs. The man then hit Smith once with a metal rod he was holding, according to police.
Austin police said the man was interviewed and released and that the case is still under investigation by the Travis County District Attorney's office.
KVUE spoke with people who are in the area daily about their thoughts on the incident.
"I tend to avoid this area when it's dark outside. I like to come around when it's light," said Lucas Paravano, who runs in the area. "I know that Sixth Street is here and some sketchy things can happen, so I just tend to avoid it. Sad to hear, but not surprising."
"It's kind of crazy, considering I live about four blocks over," a woman named Madison said. "I hear about a lot of stuff going on in Austin, but to hear how close it was to me is really kind of a little scary."
Smith's death is Austin's 41st homicide of 2024. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Austin police at 512-974-TIPS or Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.