Three dead, 14 wounded in Austin bar shooting; police kill suspect on West Sixth Street

AUSTIN, Texas —

Gunfire erupted in the heart of Austin’s downtown entertainment district early Sunday, leaving three people dead and at least 14 others wounded after a man opened fire at a packed bar before being shot and killed by police, authorities said.

The shooting broke out at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a large bar and beer garden on West Sixth Street, as the city’s nightlife corridor was crowded with late-night patrons. Police said officers responding to reports of an active shooter confronted an armed man inside or just outside the venue and fatally shot him at the scene.

“This is a tragedy for our city,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at an early morning news conference.

Davis said police received calls reporting a man shooting at the beer garden. “When officers arrived, they confronted a man with a gun and then returned fire, killing the suspect,” she said.

Authorities said three people were found dead at the scene, including the gunman. Fourteen others were taken to local hospitals, three in critical condition, according to Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz.

“Within 57 seconds the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said, calling the incident a “mass casualty event.”

As of Sunday afternoon, officials had not publicly identified the shooter or any victims, saying next of kin were still being notified. The suspect was described only as an adult male. Investigators said they believe he acted alone and that there is no indication of additional suspects.

Motive unclear; details of weapon not confirmed

The motive for the attack remains unclear.

“We do not yet know why this individual opened fire,” Davis said, adding that detectives were interviewing witnesses, collecting video and working to determine any connections between the suspect, the venue and victims.

Authorities did not immediately specify what kind of firearm or firearms were used. Some media reports suggested the shooter may have carried more than one weapon, but police had not confirmed those accounts.

Witnesses describe chaos near bar-closing time

The first reports of gunfire came just before Austin’s mandated 2 a.m. bar closing time, when West Sixth Street is typically jammed with people leaving bars and restaurants. Patrons described a chaotic scene as shots rang out and crowds surged toward side streets and alleys.

Witnesses posting on social media said they heard an argument near Buford’s followed by a rapid burst of gunfire. Some described three distinct volleys: an initial string of shots, a pause, then additional gunfire they believed involved police.

One witness wrote in a public post: “People just started running. We heard what sounded like eight or 10 shots and everyone hit the floor or tried to get out.” The person said bars locked their doors and moved patrons to the back until police said it was safe.

Patrons reported being told to shelter in bathrooms and interior rooms at Buford’s and neighboring bars such as Rustic Tap, Greenlight Social and Play Social Club, and later being escorted out through back doors and alleyways after officers cleared parts of the street.

Response timeline draws questions

Officials’ description of a swift response prompted questions from some people in the area who said it felt longer before they saw marked police cars arrive.

Luckritz said first responders reached the scene in under a minute from the time of the initial 911 call. However, different news outlets reported slightly different call times, and several witnesses said on social media it appeared to take eight to 10 minutes from the first shots until visible patrol units reached the immediate area.

Police have not released 911 recordings, dispatch logs or body-camera footage that could clarify the sequence from the first gunshot to the suspect being shot. Davis said the department’s internal affairs unit and criminal investigators were reviewing the officers’ use of force, which is standard when police fire their weapons.

City leaders respond; renewed focus on Sixth Street safety

Mayor Kirk Watson praised first responders, saying officers and medics “definitely saved lives” by moving quickly into an active-shooter situation and transporting victims to trauma centers.

“This is another horrible incident of gun violence in our community,” Watson said in a written statement. “But I am grateful for the rapid response from our police and EMS, and for the hospital staff who worked through the night to care for the injured.”

The attack is the second mass shooting on Austin’s historic Sixth Street corridor in less than five years.

In June 2021, a gunman opened fire amid a crowd on East Sixth Street — often called “Dirty Sixth” — injuring 14 people; one later died. That shooting led the city to roll out public-safety measures on East Sixth, including reopening the street to limited vehicle traffic, installing new barricades and curbs, increasing police presence and stepping up enforcement of bar regulations.

City data in the years since showed reductions in arrests and some violent offenses on East Sixth. But West Sixth Street, where Buford’s is located, has not been the central focus of that overhaul, even as it has grown into a dense strip of bars and clubs.

Sunday’s shooting is likely to intensify debate over whether safety efforts should be expanded or rethought.

Firearms rules in Texas nightlife districts

The incident also underscores the complicated role of firearms in Texas nightlife districts. Under state law, it is generally illegal to carry a handgun into a business that earns 51% or more of its income from on-premises alcohol sales. Such establishments are required by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to post red warning signs at entrances.

Texas’ 2021 permitless carry law allows most adults to carry handguns without a license in many public places, but it did not change the longstanding prohibition on firearms in 51% bars. Buford’s, as a high-volume drinking establishment, is widely understood to fall under that category, meaning law-abiding patrons would not have been allowed to carry guns inside.

Police did not say how the shooter obtained his weapon or whether he entered through the bar or was already outside when he began firing.

What comes next

As investigators piece together what happened, city officials face renewed questions about Sixth Street: whether design changes, crowd-control measures and bar regulations can meaningfully reduce the risk of rare but devastating attacks; how police should be deployed along the corridor; and what further steps, if any, state lawmakers may consider on gun policy.

For now, the focus remains on identifying the dead, treating the wounded and interviewing witnesses who had come downtown for an ordinary Saturday night out.

“People went out expecting to enjoy themselves,” Davis said. “Instead, they experienced something traumatic that no one should have to go through.”