What Happened

A pre-dawn shooting in North Austin on Jan. 12 left 32-year-old Seferino Hernandez-Perez dead and prompted the city’s fifth homicide investigation of 2026, according to the Austin Police Department.

Police said officers were first dispatched around 5:27 a.m. to reports of gunfire in the 1100 block of S. Meadows Drive. When officers arrived, they did not find anyone involved in the shooting. Detectives collected evidence at that scene, including shell casings.

About 40 minutes later, at 6:08 a.m., a 911 call reported an unconscious person who was not breathing at 9806 Middle Fiskville Road. Authorities said the person found there was the victim connected to the earlier call on S. Meadows Drive. Hernandez-Perez died shortly after being located.

APD has identified the case as the department’s fifth homicide investigation of the year. The department said it is handling the investigation.

How the Case Is Being Handled

Homicide detectives responded to the original scene on S. Meadows Drive to collect and process evidence, a standard step in establishing a timeline and determining where gunfire occurred. The department’s Homicide Unit maintains a 24-hour on-call rotation and works closely with crime-scene specialists, the Travis County Medical Examiner, and outside agencies when needed, according to the Official Austin Police Department. That protocol typically includes canvassing for witnesses, reviewing surveillance footage where available, and coordinating with forensic teams to analyze ballistic and other physical evidence.

While the pace of any investigation is shaped by the evidence and leads available, Austin’s detectives have historically resolved a large share of fatal cases compared with national trends. Over the past five years, homicide clearance rates in Austin have averaged around 85%, far outpacing the national average of roughly 53%, according to reporting by KUT Public Media. The outlet has also noted that APD has faced pressure to more consistently publish clearance data, and the department has said it is working to improve public reporting.

Where This Fits in Citywide Trends

The deadly North Austin shooting arrives as the city’s overall crime picture has been improving from recent peaks. Austin recorded 55 homicides in 2025, down from 66 in 2024, part of a broader decline in serious offenses last year, according to KUT Public Media. The outlet reports aggravated assaults fell about 13% in 2025, robberies were down roughly 5%, and property crimes decreased around 7%, with both violent and property crime trending back toward pre-pandemic levels.

Those citywide numbers can feel distant when a neighborhood wakes to gunfire. At the same time, police leaders have used the recent data to reassure residents about the broader trajectory. "When you look at the numbers, Austin is a safe city," said Angie Jones, Assistant Chief, as reported by KUT Public Media.

The dynamics of violent crime are often uneven, and major incidents can cluster in specific areas or time frames. Even as the city posts year-over-year declines, investigators and residents alike confront the immediate consequences of individual cases. For families, victims, and neighbors, the impact is personal; for detectives, every recovered shell casing or witness account can be pivotal to establishing what happened and who is responsible.

The Road Ahead

As APD pursues its fifth homicide case of 2026, detectives will continue to reconstruct the movements between the two locations linked to the Jan. 12 shooting—S. Meadows Drive, where gunfire was reported, and Middle Fiskville Road, where Hernandez-Perez was found. The Official Austin Police Department notes that interagency cooperation and forensic analysis are central to how its Homicide Unit approaches cases, work that can unfold over days or weeks as evidence is processed.

Austin’s recent decline in homicides and other major offenses provides important context, but every case is distinct. The progress of this investigation will hinge on the strength of the evidence collected, the availability of witnesses, and the methodical work that follows at the lab bench and in the field. Police said they are continuing to handle the homicide investigation.

As North Austin residents move past the week’s police activity, the focus turns to answers. The coming steps—lab results, case updates, and any eventual determinations—will shape how this incident fits into the city’s broader safety picture and whether its downward trends can hold through 2026.

Read the full story on Fox7Austin.com.

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