Austin teen killed near Round Rock planned to move to West Virginia for better life

The last time 17-year-old Aundair Bowser called his aunt, it was 8:30 a.m. Jan. 1, and she said he sounded happy.

He had gone to a small party on New Year's Eve and was asking if he could spend the night at a friend's house, Destiny Bowser said. He was shot and killed a short time later, she said. She declined to discuss details about what happened, saying the incident was under investigation.

Deputies with the Williamson County sheriff's office received a call about a shooting at 8:53 a.m. Jan. 1 and found Bowser's body with a gunshot wound in the 8000 block of Arezzo Drive in a neighborhood outside of Round Rock, officials have said. A juvenile has been charged with manslaughter in Bowser's death.

Under Texas law, a person commits manslaughter if they recklessly cause the death of another individual. Manslaughter is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

More: Juvenile charged with manslaughter in connection to 'suspicious death' near Round Rock

Authorities said they could not discuss the case, including whether Bowser knew who shot him, because the person charged is a juvenile.

Destiny Bowser said Aundair lived with her, his siblings and his grandparents in Austin. His grandparents are her parents, she said.

Aundair, a senior at Premier High School, a charter school in North Austin, was planning to move to West Virginia soon to live with an uncle, according to his aunt.

"My other nephew got killed in Killeen two years ago, and Aundair wanted something better for himself," said Destiny Bowser. He also wanted to find a house in West Virginia so his siblings and other relatives could live with him, she said.

More: 19-year-old charged in 'unintentional' shooting death of friend in Round Rock skatepark

Aundair's dream was to become a rapper or a professional football player, said Bowser. He would spend hours in his room composing lyrics, she said, and worked at a part-time job at Party City to help pay for whatever his younger siblings wanted. He grew up playing football in leagues in the Austin area, said his grandfather, Blake Bowser.

"He was a hero," said Destiny Bowser. "He was a protector, and he wasn't selfish. He was very funny and was always joking. He didn't like drama, tried to keep the peace between everybody and was always smiling."

Bowser said she was stunned to hear about her nephew's death. "He was never in trouble before," she said.

Blake Bowser said Aundair was "extraordinary."

"His life seemed so long because he had such an impact on everyone," Blake Bowser said. "He protected all of his siblings."

Bowser said his grandson had given him advice that helped him. "I loved him," he said, "and that love will never perish."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin teen killed near Round Rock wanted better life elsewhere