FORT WORTH, Texas -- A shuttle bus driver who was the victim of a suspected road rage incident at Texas Christian University last month has died.
The Collin County Medical Examiner confirmed that David Mitchell, 52, passed away last week.
Family attorney Greg Kish tells WFAA that Mitchell sustained head trauma, severe bruising and other injuries when he was attacked by another shuttle driver on Nov. 6.
The incident prompted a highly-publicized campus lockdown. Police arrested Eric Hampton after they say he fired a shot at Mitchell before striking him with his bus.
Authorities initially said the victim’s injuries were “minor,” but Kish says that wasn’t the case.
“He spent at least a week in the hospital,” Kish said on Tuesday night. “It looked like he was pretty traumatized physically.”
He said the family was waiting on a final autopsy report from the medical examiner, but that they were told a pulmonary embolism and blood clot likely linked to his injuries could be the cause.
A Fort Worth police spokesman said on Wednesday morning that Hampton was facing aggravated assaults charges and that detectives were consulting with the medical examiner in Collin County.
"If and when we receive official notification that the victim's death was a result of the assault, we will confer with the DA's office in reference to refiling a murder case," Ofc. Brad Perez wrote in an email.
A TCU spokeswoman provided this statement about his death:
Texas Christian University is saddened to hear this news, and we send our warmest thoughts, prayers and condolences to the family in this difficult time. The TCU flag will be lowered to half-staff Friday, Dec. 8, in Mitchell’s memory.
Mitchell was actually employed by a company called Roadrunner, which contracts out services to the university.
In the wake of the incident, the university put guards on some shuttle buses to increase safety.
"Dave was a good guy. His wife [Zelda] describes him as a big teddy bear," Kish said.
A funeral service is slated for 11 a.m. Saturday at Hope of Glory Community Church in Dallas. A GoFundMe account has been set up for Mitchell's funeral expenses.