Police search for cobra believed to have killed owner

A monocled cobra is missing from the home of a teenager who died in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night after possibly being bitten by the snake. At 9:37pm, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services and Austin police found 18-year-old Grant Thompson in a Lowe’s parking lot with puncture wounds on his wrist. Thompson was in cardiac arrest and was unresponsive, according to police. Thompson was transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center but was pronounced dead on arrival, officials said. It is possible that a snake bit him, but the cause of death will remain unknown until an autopsy is completed, EMS said. Thompson was a senior staff member at Fish Bowl Pet Express in Temple and would show exotic animals to children as part of his job.

His mother had taken him to Fish Bowl Pet Express since he was a baby and, after she bought the business a few years ago, Thompson volunteered to work there before becoming a staff member. Medics found several containers in Thompson’s car, one of which was holding a live snake. Six tarantulas and a bullfrog were also found. The animals in the car were not venomous and were transported to Austin Reptile Rescue.

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However, when police searched Thompson’s home in Temple, they could not find a monocled cobra that was missing from its cage. An Austin police spokeswoman did not confirm whether there is an immediate danger to the public. EMS officials said that snakebite cases are extremely uncommon in the area. EMS Capt. Darren Noak said that in his 20 years working with EMS, he has only seen one or two. Police are investigating Thompson’s death, which is not considered suspicious, officials said.

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Update: The snake in question has been found dead