More than $4,000-worth of THC vape cartridges was allegedly at the center of Travis County’s first homicide of 2026, according to an arrest affidavit filed on Jan. 15 by a Travis County Sheriff’s Office detective. The fatal shooting happened on Jan. 7, shortly before midnight, at a gas station near Del Valle. TCSO identified the deceased as 19-year-old Ashwyn Basil.
Nicholas Thomas, 19, was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder. His attorney has declined to comment on the case to KXAN. A TCSO detective wrote in the affidavit that text messages on Basil’s phone allegedly showed Thomas agreeing to purchase 300 “gushers” — vape cartridges containing THC — from Basil for a total of $4,125.
According to investigators, Thomas didn’t have the money when he met with Basil, and that amount of money wasn’t found in either vehicle. The detective said they believe that Thomas “intended to rob Basil and take the narcotics.” Surveillance footage, referenced in the affidavit, allegedly shows Thomas exit a white truck, then walk over to and enter the right-side passenger door of Ashwyn’s car. With one foot outside of the car, a few seconds passed before “numerous gunshots are heard,” the affidavit states.
“The black sedan squeals tires and rapidly accelerates as [Thomas] falls out of the car and a handgun falls from his person to the ground,” the affidavit states. That car, driven by a person unnamed in the affidavit, later arrived at an area hospital. Hospital staff attempted to stabilize Basil, but the young man died from his injuries.
The driver told TCSO that when Basil asked Thomas for the money, Thomas pulled a gun; both Basil and Thomas then fired at each other, according to the affidavit.
EMS took Thomas from the scene with gunshot wounds, according to the affidavit, which also notes that a man got out of Thomas’ truck before EMS and other first responders arrived. That man allegedly took a handgun and Thomas’ cell phone from the scene.
“He appears to take out a cell phone from one of [Thomas’] pockets and tries to unlock the phone using [Thomas’] fingerprint and face,” the affidavit states. “When another vehicle pulls into the parking lot, the dark-skinned male flees … the identity and whereabouts of the dark-skinned male are unknown.” The affidavit also says that a witness at the scene saw the man “walking around screaming ‘what the f— do I do,’” before fleeing.
