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Austin Police identify Zilker Park shooting suspect, who allegedly left his girlfriend 'brain-dead'
By Andrew Weber
September 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM CDT
The Austin Police Department identified 30-year-old Brandon Thompson as the suspect in the shooting of a police officer and another person Wednesday morning near Zilker Park. The department and the Austin ISD Police Department acknowledged inconsistencies in their emergency communication in the wake of the shooting.
Thompson was charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, a first-degree felony, and burglary. He is being held at an area hospital and, under state law, cannot receive bail because he's accused of a capital crime.
Police identified the second victim as 30-year-old Kay Smith. APD said she is believed to be the suspect's girlfriend and is "brain-dead." Officials said it was unclear whether she was shot intentionally and that additional charges would be coming.
APD released footage from the officer's body-worn camera, in accordance with department policy to release it within 10 days.
Officials addressed the communication failures that angered parents at nearby schools and area residents. The department rescinded a shelter-in-place advisory sent out to residents Wednesday while the suspect was armed and on the run from police — outside Barton Hills Elementary School while children were locked down inside.
Police said Thompson attempted to break into a house after fleeing the school. A homeowner shot him twice and police apprehended him.
Chief Lisa Davis said APD would "move forward" from the incident and vowed to improve police protocols.
"I think it's quite clear that the current process did not work, that there was a breakdown there," Davis said.
Police identified the injured officer as Adam Reinhart, who has been with APD for six years. He has been released from the hospital and will be placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated — a department policy.
Police acknowledge 'failure' to secure schools
The shooting triggered a shelter-in-place advisory in much of South Austin just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. The lockdown order was prematurely lifted by APD at 6:30 a.m. while the suspect was still at large, officials said.
A screenshot shows the changing shelter-in-place status on Wednesday. (2074x3816, AR: 0.5435010482180294)
That led to confusion at nearby schools, which were gearing up to start. Communication between APD, the district and parents was muddied. At around 7 a.m., APD told the school district to shut down both Barton Hills and Zilker elementary schools because an armed suspect was in the area, according to communication obtained by KUT News.
In an email to Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed, Assistant City Attorney Robyn Katz told the district to delay or shut down classes at Zilker and Barton Hills — not continue operations as normal.
"It's my understanding that the Superintendent of AISD authorized business as usual with two officers at both elementary schools," Katz said in the email. "APD's advice and recommendation is to shut both schools down until the areas are secure, at minimum for a delayed opening."
The district ultimately didn't shut down or delay operations at Barton Hills or Zilker, while parents from other schools, like nearby Austin High School, were told they'd operate on a two-hour delay.
Sneed called that a "failure," and said the district didn't have proper security protocols for what he called "transitional periods," when students are either arriving or getting dismissed from schools.
"We understand that the communication piece was a failure, and we're just working on ... improving our communications," he said.
KUT News has reached out to AISD multiple times to clarify what APD conveyed to the district — and what the district conveyed to parents — but has not heard back.
Suspect arrested multiple times in recent years
Travis County court records show Thompson has convictions for car theft and drug possession. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and served 30 days in the Travis County Jail. Last year, he was arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle. He pleaded guilty to that charge in May.
A 2021 deadly conduct charge against him involving a firearm was dismissed by county prosecutors, court records show. He also faced multiple misdemeanor charges, including resisting arrest, that were dropped by prosecutors.
Chief Davis addressed the suspect's previous charges and the "revolving door" of arrest and release.
"I want to get out of this continuous loop," she said. "How do we get people the help they need? ... But there are unfortunately people that need to be put in jail, and that is the reality."
This story has been updated.
Thompson was charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, a first-degree felony, and burglary. He is being held at an area hospital and, under state law, cannot receive bail because he's accused of a capital crime.
Police identified the second victim as 30-year-old Kay Smith. APD said she is believed to be the suspect's girlfriend and is "brain-dead." Officials said it was unclear whether she was shot intentionally and that additional charges would be coming.
APD released footage from the officer's body-worn camera, in accordance with department policy to release it within 10 days.
Officials addressed the communication failures that angered parents at nearby schools and area residents. The department rescinded a shelter-in-place advisory sent out to residents Wednesday while the suspect was armed and on the run from police — outside Barton Hills Elementary School while children were locked down inside.
Police said Thompson attempted to break into a house after fleeing the school. A homeowner shot him twice and police apprehended him.
Chief Lisa Davis said APD would "move forward" from the incident and vowed to improve police protocols.
"I think it's quite clear that the current process did not work, that there was a breakdown there," Davis said.
Police identified the injured officer as Adam Reinhart, who has been with APD for six years. He has been released from the hospital and will be placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated — a department policy.
Police acknowledge 'failure' to secure schools
The shooting triggered a shelter-in-place advisory in much of South Austin just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. The lockdown order was prematurely lifted by APD at 6:30 a.m. while the suspect was still at large, officials said.
A screenshot shows the changing shelter-in-place status on Wednesday. (2074x3816, AR: 0.5435010482180294)
That led to confusion at nearby schools, which were gearing up to start. Communication between APD, the district and parents was muddied. At around 7 a.m., APD told the school district to shut down both Barton Hills and Zilker elementary schools because an armed suspect was in the area, according to communication obtained by KUT News.
In an email to Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed, Assistant City Attorney Robyn Katz told the district to delay or shut down classes at Zilker and Barton Hills — not continue operations as normal.
"It's my understanding that the Superintendent of AISD authorized business as usual with two officers at both elementary schools," Katz said in the email. "APD's advice and recommendation is to shut both schools down until the areas are secure, at minimum for a delayed opening."
The district ultimately didn't shut down or delay operations at Barton Hills or Zilker, while parents from other schools, like nearby Austin High School, were told they'd operate on a two-hour delay.
Sneed called that a "failure," and said the district didn't have proper security protocols for what he called "transitional periods," when students are either arriving or getting dismissed from schools.
"We understand that the communication piece was a failure, and we're just working on ... improving our communications," he said.
KUT News has reached out to AISD multiple times to clarify what APD conveyed to the district — and what the district conveyed to parents — but has not heard back.
Suspect arrested multiple times in recent years
Travis County court records show Thompson has convictions for car theft and drug possession. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and served 30 days in the Travis County Jail. Last year, he was arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle. He pleaded guilty to that charge in May.
A 2021 deadly conduct charge against him involving a firearm was dismissed by county prosecutors, court records show. He also faced multiple misdemeanor charges, including resisting arrest, that were dropped by prosecutors.
Chief Davis addressed the suspect's previous charges and the "revolving door" of arrest and release.
"I want to get out of this continuous loop," she said. "How do we get people the help they need? ... But there are unfortunately people that need to be put in jail, and that is the reality."
This story has been updated.