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23-year-year Bradley Stanford has been arrested in connection to the alleged shooting of Akira Ross, 24. According to the Cedar Park Police Department, the incident took place on June 2, at around 10 pm local time in the parking area of a gas station in Austin. Upon arrival, cops found Ross lying in a pool of blood.
Bradley Stanford currently faces charges of one count of first-degree murder concerning Akira’s brutal death. The victim’s family has further claimed that this was a hate crime, since she was gay. The family alleged that Bradley Stanford yelled offensive homophobic slurs before he opened fire.
Cops, however, are yet to determine what led to the brutal shootout. Cedar Park police have also confirmed that the victim and the suspect were not known to each other and they only spoke before the shooting happened. A GoFundMe fundraiser has further been launched to offer financial aid to Akira’s family.
The series of events that led to Bradley Stanford shooting Akira Ross
On Friday, June 2, 2023, at around 10 pm local time, Cedar Park Police Department received a report of a shooting that allegedly took place in the 12000 block of Ranch Road 620 North in Cedar Park in Austin. Law enforcement officials soon arrived at the shooting site and discovered Akira “lying on her back in a pool of dark red blood.” They also noticed a black Nissan sedan near her body.
The victim was declared dead at 10:05 pm, shortly after Williamson County Emergency Medical Services arrived. Surveillance camera footage captured Stanford’s Chevy Malibu entering the gas station at 9.42 pm. Stanford was then seen entering the store and exiting around two minutes later.
Authorities claimed that he was seen going back to his vehicle and trying to grab something from inside the car. He then tucks the object into his shorts’ waistband. Shortly after that, the black sedan enters the area and stops nearby. While entering, Akira and her girlfriend were arguing over a food order. The same has also been confirmed by a third female who was in the car at the time.
The third woman also stated that the argument between Ross and her girlfriend caught Bradley Stanford’s attention. After a while, Ross stood outside her car, while her girlfriend Tanya, went inside the store. Police mentioned that Bradley was then seen approaching the 24-year-old woman, and they exchanged words. Akira Ross was seen as “agitated” and stressed after the conversation with the suspect.
The third woman in the car told the police that Stanford then began looking for something which appeared to be a gun. She then texted Ross’ girlfriend saying,
“Yo tell the cash person this man got a gun and trying to get KB (Ross).”
Ross allegedly went inside to tell her girlfriend that Bradley Stanford was out there “waving his gun around.” Tanya then asked the cashier to call the cops and went outside to record the altercation between the suspect and the victim, not expecting him to open fire.
Bradley was arrested shortly after the incident
According to an affidavit:
“Stanford walked over to Ross and was standing at the front of her car. Stanford then acted like he was going to walk back to his vehicle, but instead walked to the rear of Ross’ vehicle. [The witness] heard Stanford yell… and fire three rounds. The male then ran towards his car and drove away.”
Authorities were called, and they later took Bradley Stanford into custody at his apartment complex. His bond has been set at $1 million. Ross’ father and girlfriend claim that she was targeted for being gay.
“It was a hate crime. She didn’t know him. She gets out of the car, and he starts calling her gay slurs for no reason. Losing a daughter is like swallowing a razor blade,” said Anthony Hill, the victim's father.
Ross' girlfriend Tanya recalled the incident:
“I was recording everything I saw before my own eyes and then I heard gunshots. We didn’t expect him to do what he did.”
A GoFundMe has been launched to provide financial assistance to the victim’s grieving family. It aims to raise $15,000 and has already collected more than $7,000 from over 160 contributors. According to the fundraiser post:
“I’m asking for the community and allies to come together in order to support the loss of our LGBTQIA+ sibling. This loss comes so quickly into the beginning of our month where most can feel at liberty to be free and to be their slaves.”
The post further stated that Bradley Stanford attacked her just for being queer. Ross’ father mentioned that his daughter was also a full-time caregiver for her grandmother. She had been a student of Manor High School and Bastrop High.
