Fatal Budget Inn Shooting Detailed

Austin police said a shooting at the Budget Inn in North Austin on May 8 became a homicide case after Se Hun Park died from his injuries on May 14. Officers responded at 7:32 p.m. to the motel at 9106 North Interstate Highway 35 southbound after a caller reported that someone had been shot at the front desk, according to an Austin Police Department release. Police said Park was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. APD identified 24-year-old Sean Walton as the suspect and said he was arrested two days later in Cibolo. ### Who was killed and where did the shooting happen? Se Hun Park was the man who died in the shooting, Austin police said in a May 15 homicide release. The department listed the location as the Budget Inn at 9106 North Interstate Highway 35 southbound and said Park was shot at the front desk of the business. (austintexas.gov) May 14 was the date Park died, according to APD. Police said he succumbed to his injuries at 6:48 p.m., nearly a week after the shooting. ### What do police say led up to the shooting? APD said the shooting followed a verbal argument between Park and Walton. In its release, the department said preliminary investigation showed Walton pulled out a firearm and shot Park after the argument. (austintexas.gov) KXAN, citing Austin police, reported that investigators described the dispute as a “heated” argument. (austintexas.gov) APD has not, in the public release, described any broader motive beyond the confrontation between the two men. ### What happened after the gunfire? Austin police said Walton left the scene in a vehicle after the shooting. (austintexas.gov) Detectives from APD’s Aggravated Assault Unit and crime scene specialists then processed the motel scene, according to the department. May 10 was the date Walton was arrested in Cibolo, Texas, by officers with the Cibolo Police Department, APD said. (kxan.com) Police said an arrest warrant had been obtained and that Austin officers worked with partner agencies to locate him. ### Is the suspect in custody now? Sean Walton remains in custody in Guadalupe County, according to Austin police. (austintexas.gov) APD identified him as 24 years old in its homicide announcement. KXAN reported on May 15 that Walton did not have an attorney listed in connection with the case at that time. (austintexas.gov) The outlet said it would update its report if an attorney later appeared and provided a statement. ### How are police classifying the case? Austin police said the investigation is being handled as the city’s 25th homicide of 2026. (austintexas.gov) That designation came after Park died from the injuries he suffered in the May 8 shooting, the department said. The homicide release was issued on May 15, one day after Park’s death. (kxan.com) APD’s public notice asked anyone with information to contact the department or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers. ### What comes next in the case? Austin police said the homicide investigation remains open as detectives continue to seek information about the shooting at the Budget Inn. (austintexas.gov) The department directed anyone with information to call 512-974-TIPS, and said anonymous tips can also be submitted through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. Guadalupe County custody is the next concrete step named by police for Walton, while APD’s homicide investigation continues in Austin. As of the department’s May 15 release, police had not announced any additional arrests in the case. (austintexas.gov)