At least three people — including the suspected gunman — are dead following a shooting early Sunday in downtown Austin, officials said. Fourteen others were injured.
The first call about the shooting at Buford’s, a popular beer garden, came in at 1:59 a.m. Paramedics and police officers responded within a minute, coming over from East Sixth Street which hosts the city’s busiest entertainment district.
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At the scene, police faced an individual with a gun and fatally shot the suspected gunman, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. The suspected shooter’s motive is currently unclear, and the FBI is involved in the investigation.
“This is a situation that we are going to be talking about probably all day,” Davis said. “Our federal partners are here as well as others.”
Fourteen people were also transported to the hospital, according to Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz. Among them, three were in critical condition.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the rapid response by police and rescuers.
“They definitely saved lives,” Watson said.
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, said he is “horrified and heartbroken” by the mass shooting.
“We must end America’s gun violence epidemic,” Casar said in a post on X. “Americans should be able to have fun at a bar without it turning into an unspeakable nightmare like this one— and I will redouble my efforts in Congress to prevent the next tragedy like this.”