Who is Brandon Thompson, the alleged Zilker Park shooter?

Austin police have identified Brandon Leigh Thompson, 30, as the gunman in Wednesday’s Zilker Park shooting and subsequent manhunt. Thompson was treated for gunshot wounds at a local hospital after being shot by a Barton Hills homeowner whose residence he broke into while fleeing police.

According to Thompson’s arrest affidavits, he was "transient" at the time of the incident. He was in a relationship with a woman named Kay Smith, 31, who police say he shot in the back of the head as he opened fire on Officer Adam Reinhart. Both survived but Smith has been declared brain dead.

A review of public records and social media indicate Thompson hailed from rural Ohio where he attended Mechanicsburg High School while Travis County court records show he has a lengthy criminal history in the Austin area and beyond. In at least two of the local cases, prosecutors chose to drop charges against Thompson.

The review found that:

• On April 23, 2021 he was arrested for deadly conduct and discharge of a firearm. No charges were filed because of insufficient evidence.
• On Aug. 29, 2021 he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to 30 days in jail after being convicted
• On Oct. 1, 2021 he was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle but prosecutors dismissed the case when the witness couldn’t be located. He was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance but prosecutors with the district attorney's office decided against charging him.
• On July 22, 2022 he was convicted of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle in Cooke County, Texas. Information about his sentence was not available.
• On Sept. 22, 2023 he was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and later charged with evading arrest/detention with a vehicle in the same case. These charges were considered along with other charges against him in 2024 because of a Texas law that allows multiple charges to be considered in one sentencing.
• On June 13, 2024 he was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and also charged with resisting arrest. The misdemeanor resisting arrest charge was dropped due to the felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced on May 19, 2025 to one year in jail but since he already had 341 days of jail credit he had 24 days left to serve.

In a statement, Travis County Attorney spokesperson Diana Melendez addressed the misdemeanor cases against Thompson that prosecutors dismissed.

"We review every case to determine if it can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, while also weighing available resources so that we can prioritize prosecuting violent crime," Melendez said.

The Travis County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on Thompson's previous sentencing but praised the Police Department’s handling of Thompson’s latest alleged criminal activity.

"We are grateful to the Austin Police Department for their swift action in apprehending the suspect and will continue to work with them on prosecuting his cases," said Ismael Martinez, a district attorney spokesman.

Thompson has been charged with attempted capital murder of a peace officer and burglary of a residence, both first-degree felonies. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Friday he could also be charged for shooting Smith who is not expected to live.