Man Tries To Kill YouTube Stars Turney And Free: Report

AUSTIN, TX — A man who authorities say killed himself after a home invasion in Austin targeted a YouTube celebrity couple who hid inside a closet and dialed 911 as the suspect fired his weapon inside and outside the house, reports say.

The man, identified by police as Christopher Eric Giles, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, shot at officers and police returned fire, authorities said. Police say that while officers engaged with the suspect and he was struck by the gunfire, the medical examiner has preliminarily ruled the cause of death to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The home invasion happened early morning on Jan. 26. Giles drove 11 hours to Austin from New Mexico, according to an affidavit obtained by The Albuquerque Journal.

The YouTube celebrities he allegedly targeted are Megan Turney, who has over 340,000 subscribers on the channel, and Gavin Free, whose web series "The Slow Mo Guys" has over 10 million subscribers. The couple also often appear together in YouTube videos.

According to the records obtained by The Albuquerque Journal, Giles' phone was full of notes that suggested he had "developed a fondness" for Turney and a dislike of Free. A detective wrote in the documents that "threatening thoughts were recorded by Giles and directed towards Gavin Free."

Police said at the time of the home invasion that Giles fired his weapon inside and outside the house but no one was injured.

According to the Journal, Giles searched the couple's home while they hid in their bedroom and left when he couldn't find them. That's when he encountered Austin Police. After attempting to flee, Giles was told to show his hands, according to police. Instead, police say, Giles shot at the officers. Police returned fire as a result, striking Giles. Police said that while they are awaiting the medical examiner's final report, they have secured evidence that supports the preliminary ruling.

Police in Albuquerque served a search warrant on Giles' home as part of the investigation in Austin.

Police in Austin said that based on security footage, it was apparent that Giles' sole intent was to cause harm to someone in the home, the Journal reported.

"Thank y’all so, so much for each and every kind message today and a special thank you to the @Austin_Police for their quick response that night and their ongoing support during this difficult time," Turney wrote on Twitter. "Heart you guys so much." Turney ended the message with a heart emoji.

Free also addressed the incident on his Twitter account.

"Hey everyone. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support and concern regarding the recent incident," Free wrote on Twitter. "It’s been a rough time for Meg and myself the last few weeks but we are doing ok. I want to give a huge thanks to @Austin_Police for the amazing response time. (Heart emoji) you all."

Read more via The Albuquerque Journal.

Update: This article has been updated to reflect that the medical examiner preliminarily ruled Giles' manner of death to be a suicide.

Antonio Cantu contributed reporting

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