At least three people have been killed and 14 more wounded in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas on Sunday morning.
Police said the shooter, a male who has not been identified, was killed by officers returning fire.
The shooting unfolded at Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Entertainment District just before 2am on Sunday, officials said.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said 17 total people were shot – 14 injured were taken to hospital, and three were pronounced dead on scene. Three of those hospitalized remain in critical condition.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force said Sunday that it was joining the investigation, indicating that terrorism is being probed as a possible motive.
Davis described the shooting as a ‘tragic, tragic incident’, and praised the bravery of responding officers who were ‘faced with an individual with a gun.’
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also said he was ‘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.’
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street.
Separate footage showed partiers crouching in fear inside the bar as police arrived on the scene, before several more gunshots rang out – indicating the gunman opened fire again as law enforcement arrived before they were shot dead.
The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released.
At least three people have been killed and 14 more wounded in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas on Sunday morning
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street. It is unclear if the deceased individual was the shooter or a victim
Videos to social media show Buford’s bar was packed moments before the shooting, as a large crowd of partiers were on the bar’s dancefloor when the gunman opened fire.
Officials said at a press conference that police and paramedics were stationed near to the Buford’s bar as routine for a weekend in Austin’s entertainment district.
Paramedics arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.
Authorities have not offered any indication as to the gunman’s motive or what led up to the shooting.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information is confirmed.
