Suspect in Austin Homicide, Shooting Spree Has Ties to State Politics

A man with ties to Texas politics is suspected of being behind a homicide in an apartment complex on Monday as well as a Wednesday shooting spree in Austin, Texas, authorities said. Charles Curry, 29, was arrested Thursday and faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police said they hope to file a murder charge against him soon in connection to the death of 32-year-old Christian Meroney. He’s also believed to be responsible for four random shootings on the south side of Austin Wednesday, according to authorities. Curry had previously held jobs in politics, including working on a campaign for Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, doing policy analysis for the Texas senate, and canvassing for state Rep. Lyle Larson, according to his LinkedIn page. A spokesman for state Sen. Joan Huffman told the Austin American-Statesman that Curry also worked for her between 2016 and 2017. Curry was being held in the Travis County jail Thursday.