Man Shot and Killed at San Angelo NYE Party, No One Arrested

SAN ANGELO, TX — A man was shot and killed in a New Year’s Eve altercation just outside San Angelo and no one was arrested, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office stated this afternoon.

According to the Sheriff, friends were gathered at a hunting cabin in the 11000 block of FM 2335, the road between Tankersley and Knickerbocker, for New Year’s Eve. During the NYE celebration, a playful snowball fight ensued, but it quickly escalated into a verbal and then physical altercation between the soon-to-be shooting victim and another person at the party. Others at the party separated the two, and the victim left the party, retreating to a nearby residence, the Sheriff said.

Later in the evening, the victim returned and threatened the other revelers. The threats were severe enough that the revelers retreated to inside the cabin and locked the door as best they could. That didn’t stop the victim, who was apparently still angry. He broke into the cabin and approached the revelers inside, some of whom fled to the bathroom inside and locked the door. The victim continued to approach the other partiers not secured in the bathroom. As the victim approached, one of the partiers pulled out a gun and fired a single round, killing the victim.

The shooting victim was identified by the Sheriff as Asa Nixon, 38. His next-of-kin has been notified. Tom Green County Justice of the Peace Susan Werner pronounced Nixon dead at the scene.

The State of Texas “Stand Your Ground” statutes outline times when the use of lethal force are legal. In Penal Code Title 2, Chapter 9 Subchapter C, the law states, “Except as provided in Subsection (b), a person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force.” One of the situations described as where deadly force is justified is when a person, “unlawfully and with force entered, or was attempting to enter unlawfully and with force, the actor's occupied habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment.”“

The Sheriff said the investigation remains open, however no arrests were reported overnight concerning this incident.