Austin Shooting Today: 3 Dead, 14 Injured in Mass Shooting at Buford's Bar on 6th Street
BREAKING — DEVELOPING STORY: A mass shooting at Buford's bar on West 6th Street in Austin, Texas early Sunday morning, March 1, 2026 ET, left three people dead and 14 others hospitalized — including three in critical condition. The suspect, a man whose identity has not yet been released, was shot and killed by Austin Police officers at the scene.
Austin Mass Shooting at Buford's: What Happened on 6th Street
Austin-Travis County EMS received the call about the shooting at 1:59 a.m. ET, and paramedics and officers were on the scene within 57 seconds attending to patients. The shooting happened at Buford's, a bar on West Sixth and Rio Grande streets.
A gunman opened fire at Buford's on 6th Street in Austin overnight, killing three people and wounding 14 others. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said police received a call around 1:40 a.m. for reports of a "male shooting" at Buford's, a beer garden in the city's busy entertainment district. When police arrived at the scene, they confronted a man with a gun and then returned fire, killing the suspect.
Austin police officers fatally shot the suspect following the mass shooting at Buford's on West 6th Street that left multiple people injured. Davis said officers who had been working the nearby East 6th Street entertainment corridor rapidly responded to the scene as bars were closing for the night. "Officers immediately transitioned, came over East 6th to West 6th Street and were faced with the individual with a gun," Davis said.
Three people, including the shooter, were pronounced dead at the scene. Fourteen patients — three of whom were in critical condition — were transported to local hospitals. Davis said federal partners are assisting in the investigation, and the scene will take several hours to process.
Austin Police Chief and Mayor Respond to 6th Street Shooting
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin's entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said: "I'm very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this. I don't think there's any question that it saved lives." Chief Davis confirmed that three officers returned fire toward the suspect. The Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock confirmed the suspect was one of the three people who died.
People who are searching for loved ones are asked to call the Austin Police Department Victim Services Unit at 512-974-5037. Authorities asked the public to avoid the area around West 6th and Rio Grande streets as the investigation continues.
What Is Buford's Bar on 6th Street Austin?
Buford's is a popular beer garden located in Austin's busy downtown entertainment district on West 6th Street. The first call about the shooting at Buford's came in at 1:59 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2026 — a peak hour for Austin's famed 6th Street bar corridor as venues were closing for the night.
West 6th Street is one of Austin's most densely populated late-night entertainment corridors, drawing thousands of visitors every weekend. The Austin shooting at Buford's occurred during one of the busiest windows of the night — last call — when both foot traffic and outdoor crowds are at their highest along the strip.
Austin Texas Shooting: No Motive, Suspect Identity Not Released
The suspect has not yet been identified but was described as a man. There was no initial word on the shooter's identity or motive as of early Sunday morning. The FBI and federal partners are assisting Austin Police in the ongoing investigation.
This is a developing story. Three people died in the Austin shooting at Buford's on West 6th Street and Rio Grande — two victims and the suspect. Three of the 14 hospitalized remain in critical condition as of the most recent update from Austin-Travis County EMS.
