At least three people were killed and 14 others injured early Sunday morning after a gunman opened fire at a bar in downtown Austin, according to local authorities.
Police responded just before 2 a.m. to reports of an active shooter at Buford’s, a popular beer garden located in the city’s entertainment district. Lisa Davis, chief of the Austin Police Department, said officers encountered a male suspect who began firing at responding officers.
Police returned fire, killing the suspect at the scene, Davis said. No officers were reported injured.
The bar is located roughly two miles from the University of Texas at Austin campus and less than a mile from the Texas Capitol.
Robert Luckritz, chief of Travis County Emergency Medical Services, confirmed that three victims were pronounced dead. Fourteen others were transported to local hospitals, including three who remain in critical condition.
Luckritz said paramedics were already staged in the downtown entertainment district at the time of the shooting, allowing for an unusually rapid response.
“We received the call at 1:59 a.m., and within 57 seconds the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating patients,” Luckritz said.
Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity or a motive for the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.
