An outpouring of support and messages were posted on a Copperas Cove man's Myspace page after an arrest was made in Austin's first homicide of the year, which occurred Sunday.

Joseph Daniel Russo, 20, of Copperas Cove, was shot by another man during a fight. He died after he was transferred to University Medical Center at Brackenridge.

Markieh Jaquaan Thompson, 20, was arrested Monday by Corpus Christi police and charged with first-degree murder. Thompson was being held at Nueces County Jail on $80,000 bond.

Sgt. Joseph Chacon of the Austin Police Department's Homicide Unit said he was anticipating Thompson's transfer to Austin on Tuesday.

Russo graduated from Copperas Cove High School in 2007 and was a theater arts major at Central Texas College.

According to Chacon, Russo was at a party at Longhorn Landing Apartments in the 4700 block of Riverside Drive.

An altercation occurred between Russo and another person at the party. The individual reportedly called a group, which included Thompson, who later arrived at the apartment complex.

The fighting moved into the parking lot where Russo was shot, Chacon said.

Austin police received several 911 calls regarding the shots fired. When police arrived, they found Russo in the parking lot. Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the scene and transported Russo to Brackenridge.

After hearing witness accounts, Chacon said he determined that Thompson was the main suspect.

With the help of the Lonestar Fugitives Taskforce, APD was able to track Thompson down at a Corpus Christi mall.

"It was so by surprise. This was the last place he certainly expected law enforcement to be looking at him and he was rather at ease, and rather, for lack of better words, comfortable in his environment at the time. It would be my estimation that he had no idea we were on to him in Corpus Christi," U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez said about Thompson's arrest.

Chacon said Austin police would rule out the possibility of charging others in the death.

Funeral services for Russo are scheduled for this morning at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Copperas Cove.