A Travis County man has been charged with murder after investigators say he fatally shot his sister’s longtime boyfriend during a family gathering in East Travis County over the weekend.
Travis County sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in the 15100 block of Retha Pass in Austin’s Colony at 3:29 a.m. Saturday and found Lonnie Jerome White, 48, lying in the driveway with gunshot wounds to the head. White was pronounced dead at the scene less than 20 minutes later.
According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses said a group had gathered at the home, where White lived, around 11 p.m. Friday to spend time with family and friends. Michael Scott Crawford, 47, attended with his two 17-year-old daughters.
Witnesses told investigators that after several people had been drinking, an argument broke out among some of the women at the gathering before escalating into a confrontation between Crawford and White, who was Crawford’s sister’s longtime boyfriend.
Investigators said Crawford struck a barbecue pit in the front yard with a baseball bat, while White picked up a pole or metal bar from the garage. After Crawford’s sister intervened, White went back inside the home as others tried to persuade Crawford to leave, according to the affidavit.
Witnesses gave differing accounts of what happened next. One witness told deputies White raised a dumbbell over his head during the confrontation. Others said they did not see a dumbbell and instead saw White throw a punch at Crawford before Crawford pulled out a handgun and shot him.
After the shooting, one witness told investigators Crawford walked up to White and said, “I told you not to mess with me,” according to the affidavit.
Crawford was arrested and charged with murder. He was later released on a $150,000 surety bond. As conditions of his release, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and must wear a GPS tracking device.