A suspect was also fatally shot by police early on Sunday, officials said.
Two people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a mass shooting at an Austin bar early on Sunday, police said, adding that officers had also fatally shot a suspect.
Three Austin Police Department officers encountered a suspect armed with a gun as they entered Buford’s Bar just before 2 a.m. local time, police said during a press conference on Sunday. The officers returned fire, fatally shooting the man, police said.
An emergency response is seen in Austin, Texas, in a screengrab from video from KVUE, an ABC News affiliate state, on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
KVUE
«I’m very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded,» Mayor Kirk Watson said, adding that there wasn’t «any question that it saved lives.»
The Austin Police Department had earlier released a statement urging people to avoid the area near the 600 block of Rio Grande Street, the Downtown Austin block where the bar is located.
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Photos and videos from the scene showed a major emergency response. Paramedics and officers arrived on the scene less than a minute after the first call came in, Chief Robert Luckwitz, of the Austin-Travis County EMS, said on Sunday.
Three people, including a suspect, were pronounced dead at the scene, Luckwitz said, adding that another 14 were transported to local hospitals for treatment for injuries.
As the response began, the Austin Fire Department had said that emergency personnel were responding to an «Active Attack» call.
«AFD is working an Active Attack call on West 6th St. unified command with @Austin_Police and @ATCEMS This is an active scene we will release information as becomes available,» the department said on social media. «Avoid the area.»
