FBI terrorism task force joins investigation into Texas bar shooting that left three dead

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation into a mass shooting that left three dead, including the alleged gunman, and 14 injured at a popular bar in downtown Austin, Texas, in the early hours of Sunday.

Austin police responded shortly before 2 a.m. to reports of a shooter at Buford’s, a beer garden located along the city’s busy West Sixth Street entertainment district, Austin Police Chief Lisa David said during a news conference. 

The FBI’s terrorism task force is reportedly assisting based on preliminary evidence found at the scene. The evidence includes a pistol and an assault-style rifle suspected to be used by the gunman to commit the attack.

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Officers already assigned to patrol near the nightlife corridor arrived and confronted an armed man. Police exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was fatally shot at the scene, Davis said, and there are no outstanding suspects. 

Emergency medical crews treated 17 people at the scene after the shooting unfolded as bars were closing for the night. Three people, including the suspect, were pronounced dead, while 14 victims were transported to area hospitals. 

Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said first responders arrived within a minute of receiving the emergency call, allowing medics and officers to begin treating victims almost immediately. 

The shooting sent crowds fleeing from one of Austin’s most popular nightlife areas, located near the University of Texas campus and known for heavy weekend foot traffic. 

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised police, firefighters, and paramedics for their swift response, saying their actions saved lives during what he described as a chaotic and frightening incident for the city.

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Officials have not yet released the identities of those killed or injured, and investigators said a motive for the shooting remains unclear, though the FBI terrorism task force’s presence indicates a link to a terrorism motive.

Police urged anyone searching for loved ones connected to the incident to contact the department’s victim services unit.