KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) — The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office has arrested 18-year-old Austin Mapes in connection with the death of James Wayne Wisniewski, also 18, in a fatal shooting that took place on Aug. 22, 2024, in the 3000 block of Bent Grass Drive.
"After the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office issued a warrant for Mapes' arrest, he turned himself in and was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail," according to a press release from the sheriff's office.
Mapes faces a charge of criminally negligent homicide. The shooting occurred at his parents' home.
"The Fort Bend County Medical Examiner's Office performed a postmortem examination and listed the manner of death as homicide," the press release stated.
Law enforcement responded to the shooting at 11:06 p.m. Mapes and another young man were on the second floor of the home when the fatal shot was fired.
Covering Katy/Dennis Spellman
Bent Grass Drive Shooting
Law enforcement outside the residence where the shooting took place in the 3000 block of Bent Grass Drive in Katy.
"The son of the parent who lives there came downstairs and said [to his parent] there's been a shooting," Sgt. Michael Patterson of the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office told Covering Katy News on the night of the incident. Covering Katy was the only news outlet on the scene.
Wisniewski, who was a visitor at the home, was found dead when deputies from the sheriff's office, the Precinct 1 Constable's Office, and emergency medical crews arrived, Patterson said.
Mapes and the other young man had their hands bagged to preserve potential evidence, such as gunshot residue. Deputies took them from the scene in separate patrol cars to be questioned about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The following day, the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office sent a dive team to search the pond behind the house where the shooting occurred. Investigators have not revealed if anything pertinent to the investigation was recovered from that search, what they were looking for, or why they decided to search the pond.
Mapes is free on a $100,000 bond and under house arrest. He cannot leave his residence except for pre-trial legal visits and meetings with his attorney, and his movements are being monitored electronically.
His bond conditions also state that he is to have no contact with the witness, Cameron Marshall, in person or electronically.
Criminally negligent homicide is a felony but is not as severe as murder or manslaughter. It involves the death of a person caused by another person's extremely careless behavior. The punishment for criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, which can include up to two years in state jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
On January 4, 2024 Mapes pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor evading arrest charge and received deferred adjudication. Without the plea, he faced a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
"This is truly a tragic incident," said Sheriff Eric Fagan. "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the victim's loved ones during this difficult time."