Rashad Charjuan Owens

Rashad Owens had a prior history of criminal behavior before the 2014 SXSW incident that brought national attention. Born in 1982, Owens accumulated several offenses including prior arrests for driving while intoxicated, evading police, and assault. He had already been convicted of felony DWI and served time before being released. His life in the years leading up to the SXSW attack reflected a pattern of substance abuse, reckless driving, and repeated run-ins with law enforcement. On the night of the incident, Owens had been drinking heavily while in Austin, Texas, to perform as an aspiring rapper at unofficial events surrounding the South by Southwest music festival. He was reportedly under the influence and attempted to flee a police traffic stop around 12:30 a.m. What began as a routine attempt to avoid arrest quickly escalated into a deadly rampage.

In the early hours of March 13, 2014, Rashad Charjuan Owens accelerated his Honda Civic through a barricaded section of Red River Street in downtown Austin, an area closed off to vehicle traffic due to South by Southwest festival events. As police attempted to pull him over for suspected intoxicated driving, Owens fled at high speed, broke through barriers, and drove directly into a densely packed crowd of festivalgoers. He did not slow down or attempt to stop. Witnesses described seeing bodies launched into the air as the car plowed through the street.

Four people were killed as a result of the attack: Jamie West, 27; Veronica Martir, 26; Steven Craenmehr, 35; and Holland Jefferson, 18. More than 20 other victims suffered injuries ranging from minor to life-altering, with several requiring intensive medical care. Following the attack, Owens crashed and attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by officers using a stun gun. His blood alcohol level was later confirmed to be over the legal limit. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder, and though the death penalty was eligible under Texas law, it was not pursued. At trial in 2015, overwhelming video and witness evidence showed Owens accelerating into the crowd and refusing to take responsibility. Survivors and first responders testified about the devastating impact. On November 20, 2015, Owens was convicted and automatically sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He remains in the Texas prison system.

The attack shocked the nation and prompted sweeping changes to pedestrian safety, traffic planning, and crowd control during large public events in Austin. SXSW organizers and the City of Austin faced multiple civil lawsuits, and the incident remains one of the deadliest mass casualty events in the festival's history. Rashad Owens has shown no remorse for his actions and has made no publicly verified statements of apology.