‘Jovial’ snowball fight on New Year’s Eve ends in fatal shooting, Texas sheriff says

A “jovial” snowball fight among friends celebrating New Year’s Eve escalated into a fatal shooting, Texas authorities say.

The group started the snowball fight after gathering to celebrate New Year’s at a hunting cabin in Tom Green County, according to the sheriff’s office. A winter storm had dumped several inches of snow in the area overnight.

But the friendly snowball match turned violent when a fight broke out, authorities say.

A man involved in the fight left to a nearby residence and returned later, speaking aggressively and “acting in a threatening manner,” authorities say. The others went inside the hunting cabin, locked the door with a dead bolt and called 911.

Then the man forced his way into the cabin and approached the others as they retreated into a bathroom, authorities say. As he got closer, one of the people fired a single shot, killing the man, authorities say.

Asa Nixon, 38, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

The hunting cabin is located about 15 miles southwest of San Angelo.

This story was originally published January 1, 2021 at 2:18 PM with the headline "‘Jovial’ snowball fight on New Year’s Eve ends in fatal shooting, Texas sheriff says."