Two men, Wesley Earl Brown and Dalin Harris, are accused of exchanging gunfire outside Sam's BBQ in East Austin in April, injuring six people after a dispute tied to a $200 debt from a Houston Airbnb trip escalated into a fight, according to court records. Brown was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while Harris was charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct by discharging a firearm.
Austin police were called around 8:26 p.m. to Sam’s BBQ, where a fight between the two men turned into a gunfight. Police say more than 100 people, including bystanders and children, had gathered in the crowded public area. The shooting stemmed from a trip to Houston, where Brown, Harris and two friends split the cost of an Airbnb. One man later demanded his $200 share back, and the argument spilled into a texting exchange accusing Brown of not repaying him.
Police said surveillance video showed Brown being struck near a four-wheeler before reaching into his waistband and moving back toward the street. The video did not capture him firing, but police said it supported witness accounts that he drew a gun. Brown initially denied owning a firearm before acknowledging he had a Taurus 9mm. A search of the Nissan Altima he drove from the scene turned up an empty pistol holster in the glove compartment, police said.
Travis County court records listed Brown’s case as pre-indictment, and his bail was set at $100,000. Harris’ district court case was filed May 8 and listed as an active warrant. Court docket information also listed multiple counts involving aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct.
Police previously said the injuries were not life-threatening and that all six people were stable.