Handgun-wielding 18-year-old shot dead in his underwear by cops

An 18-year-old from Texas was fatally shot by police after being found wandering the streets in his underwear near his family’s mansion and firing a handgun. Austin Hodo was killed near his family’s $1.3 million home in Bent Tree, a gated community in Boerne, near San Antonio, in the early hours of Wednesday after sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of shots being fired.

Black-and-white dashcam footage released by the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office shows the teen walking towards the unseen officers holding a gun in his left hand and dragging a shirt in his right. Hodo, seemingly dazed, continues walking towards the four deputies as they scream at him to stop and drop the weapon.

“Drop the gun! Drop it!” the officers yell repeatedly. Despite their commands, the teen raises the gun and fires a shot, prompting the deputies to shoot back and fatally injure Hodo.

The deputies were informed that one neighbor had already been shot at, leading to their quick response to the scene. Despite efforts to revive him, Hodo was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dispatch audio revealed that the incident began at 4:55 a.m. with multiple 911 calls reporting a male in his underwear shooting a handgun in the middle of the roadway. Deputies arrived at 5:04 a.m. and engaged with Hodo, who was armed with a handgun.

EMS services arrived at the scene and attempted to revive Hodo, but he was pronounced dead a few minutes later. The motive behind the incident remains unclear, and it is unknown if Hodo had any prior interactions with law enforcement.

Hodo had recently graduated from a private Christian school and was a member of the football team. He was set to attend Texas Tech University later in the year. The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office stated that despite multiple commands to drop the weapon, Hodo refused to comply and fired at the deputies, leading to their response.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the Sheriff’s Office has asked for prayers for all those affected by the tragic event.