28-year-old shoots, kills stepfather in alleged act of self defense in Lampasas

LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas — The Lampasas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that left 57-year-old William Darrell Crain dead on Thursday, Jan. 18.

The sheriff's office says it received a call at about 1:34 p.m. from 28-year-old Alex Shahan Hyatt, explaining the events that led of to the shooting.

According to the sheriff's office, Hyatt's stepfather, Crain, showed up to his home located in the 2100 block of Country Road 3790 with a nine-millimeter and a .40-caliber pistol holstered on his hip.

Hyatt told the sheriff's office that Crain had allegedly began making threats against him and his mother, who was not home at the time. Crain allegedly threatened to shoot himself and Hyatt.

According to the sheriff's office, Hyatt said he tried to deescalate the situation as he feared for his life and his mother's. Hyatt told authorities that Crain turned to the doorway and accidentally dropped the nine-millimeter pistol he had in his hand. This is when Hyatt reached into his nightstand to grab his personal handgun and fired twice at Crain, striking him in the back and armpit area.

Hyatt told the sheriff's office he then secured all of the weapons and attempted to perform life-saving measures on Crain, but he died.

According to the sheriff's office, around 1:49 p.m., deputies arrived to the scene and found Hyatt unarmed, sitting on his porch. Texas Rangers and Hamilton EMS also responded to the scene.

Sheriff's Office says Texas Rangers collected evidence at the scene and found an AR-15, shotgun rifle, 45. caliber pistol, nine-millimeter pistol, leg irons, handcuffs and enough food for a couple of weeks inside Crain's truck.

Hyatt was taken to the sheriff's office, interviewed and then released pending further investigation.

According to the sheriff's office, Crain was taken to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas for an autopsy. All preliminary findings are consistent with the events that Hyatt explained to authorities.

Dad and my brother and I mostly reloaded shotshells when I was very young. We killed a lot of quail and dove. Really good memories. From time I was around 12 (got my first shotgun about that age) we were hunting with a number of his hunting buddies. They were of my dad’s generation and my grandfather’s generation.

Every year we would have a community bird fry when dove season opened. Don’t remember the date. Whole community would hunt, Make a day of it. Then the ladies would cook them. Long tradition.

I liked quail a lot better than dove. They were a lot harder to hunt, but for extended family in a good year it was worth the trouble to keep a bird dog. My brother and I were very good with a shotgun at early age.

Dad was an armorer in WWII, but he started hunting early as a kid too. I have a Springfield trap door 45-70 that was my dad’s grandfather’s. He carried one in the Spanish American War. A short War. Not sure the one I have was the one he was issued. It is possible, they discontinued using that rifle after the SA War. It was long range and deadly, but bolt action rifles convinced the military it was time to upgrade.

My dad’s grandfather gave it to him when he was 3. When dad came to visit his grandfather, he knew what door the rifle was kept and would drag it all over the house (my grandmothers story). So his grandfather told dad’s mother that if she didn’t mind he would like her to take that rifle home for Pete (dad’s nickname). So that is how he came by it. It will still shoot, I replaced the firing pin (with original pin) when it became mine, it is one of the things that my father specifically left to me in his will (silly, but he wanted it that way.)

10-15 years ago I began collecting reloading equipment for all the calibers that my family members used. It took a while, but I’m not buying much now.

Also have a John Buckingham 12 ga hammerless Damascas barrel shotgun, it was my dad’s grandfather’s. That is another project, It functions but the breech latch has some looseness because of wear on a square bolt inside the action. And it has a broken firing pin on the right barrel. It was pretty modern when it was made. Knowing the ownership, it was somewhere between 1889 and and 1924. (my guess is between 1915 and 1924)

There are proof marks to look for and bore of chamber is another indicator.

So I have old projects and I have new builds. smile.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.