Texas gun owner shoots teen during alleged attempted robbery

A Texas gun owner defended himself and another woman from a teenager who allegedly tried to rob them at gunpoint in Austin, Texas last week, police announced.

Jaylyn Reed, 17, has now been charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Reed was already convicted of a series of robberies in 2021. Police say he was released from juvenile detention on May 27 with an ankle monitor, which he cut it off two days later. Reed then committed a series of nine robberies in five days, police say.

Reed reportedly approached the man and woman shortly after exiting a vehicle, which police say contained three other suspects.

“Surveillance video recorded Reed as he exited the vehicle and approached a black male victim and a black female victim,” police wrote. “Reed pulled out a handgun and robbed the male victim of his backpack. At the same time, the other suspects in the car moved forward and waited for Reed. Reed moved toward the getaway car while pointing his handgun at the female victim. The male victim pulled out his firearm and fired several shots at Reed and those in the Chevy Malibu in self-defense.”

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The male victim struck Reed in the leg.

Police located Reed and the other three suspects shortly afterward and applied a tourniquet to Reed’s leg before he was taken to the hospital. Authorities recovered a number of stolen items at the scene, including handguns.

Police have released photos of Reed and two of his accomplices, Andre Harris and Paul Rossum, both 18 years old. The fourth suspect was a minor, however.

Police said the four suspects committed each of the robberies in similar fashion.

“All nine robberies that happened recently were committed similarly during the daytime,” the APD wrote. “One suspect would exit the vehicle and then enter a busy business area. The other suspects inside the car would also identify potential ‘targets.’ Once a person is identified, the suspects approach them, point a handgun, and demand their belongings. In several cases, the victims suffered head injuries after being ‘pistol-whipped’ by the group of men.”