Christopher Ryan Henry

A 29-year-old Flint man has been indicted on a murder charge in the fatal shooting of a Tyler man on Memorial Day.

Christopher Ryan Henry, 29, was indicted by a grand jury in the 7th District Court and remains in Smith County Jail with a $1 million bond. Henry is accused of shooting and killing 33-year-old Austin Lee Deweerdt of Tyler, according to court documents.

Deweerdt was shot on the morning of May 30 during what a witness told police was a fight between Deweerdt and Henry, who was later identified as a suspect and turned himself in to police.

Evidence led investigators to believe Henry fired the shots that killed Deweerdt, according to the Tyler Police Department.

Investigators believe a child sitting inside a vehicle saw the violence unfold as Deweerdt and Henry got into a physical altercation that turned fatal, an arrest affidavit states. The child told forensic youth interviewers Deweerdt was “standing facing another guy when the guy shot” him.

A witness, known to the victim and the suspect, told police Deweerdt and Henry got into a physical altercation after Henry came to Deweerdt’s home around 6 a.m. to meet the witness. The witness told police that Henry was picking up Xanax from them and admitted the witness and Henry swap illegal drugs often, but they were not selling prescription or illegal drugs to each other, according to the arrest affidavit.

When Henry got to the Pinedale Place home, the witness was there, but Deweerdt was not at the time. Deweerdt arrived soon after and blocked Henry’s vehicle in the driveway, the witness said, adding that the two men don’t like each other and have had fights in the past.

The witness said Deweerdt parked, got out of his vehicle, confronted Henry and asked why he was there. The two began yelling, arguing and cursing at each other before Deweerdt “slammed” Henry to the ground and they began to wrestle, according to the witness’ statement in the affidavit.

The witness tried to stop the fight, and eventually Deweerdt and Henry got off the ground and stood up. Henry pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Deweerdt, threatening to shoot him, the witness told police.

Deweerdt responded by going to his vehicle and getting his own gun.

The witness told police Deweerdt kept his gun by his side pointed at the ground, but Henry continued to point his gun at Deweerdt.

The witness once again tried to break up the verbal altercation between the men and asked Henry to leave. Deweerdt eventually agreed to let Henry leave by moving his vehicle, according to the affidavit. When Deweerdt got in his vehicle to move it, he left the gun in the passenger seat, which investigators were able to confirm.

Henry still had his gun in hand, and although he could have moved his vehicle at this point, he didn’t leave. The fighting continued, again becoming physical. The men wrestled more before standing up again, and that’s when the witness said Henry shot Deweerdt “several times,” the affidavit states.

Deweerdt was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

When Henry arrived at his residence in Flint, he told his parents he was involved in a shooting, and his father called Tyler police to report it, according to the document.

Multiple inconsistencies were found between the witness’s testimony and Henry’s version of the story, the affidavit said.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Henry on Nov. 7, according to online records.