JUST IN: Austin Mass Shooting Being Investigated As Potential Act Of Terrorism

The mass shooting that killed three people, including the gunman, and left several additional people injured at an Austin, Texas bar on Saturday night is being investigated as an act of terrorism, FBI investigators announced Sunday.

The shooting unfolded outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin’s busy entertainment district, located not far from the University of Texas.

According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, authorities received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV that had been circling the block. “At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar,” Davis said.

He then exited the vehicle and proceeded to fire upon patrons and passersby with a rifle.

Police and emergency medical services, already deployed in the entertainment district for weekend crowds, responded rapidly. “Because police and emergency medical teams are pre-deployed downtown on weekends, authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute,” Davis said.

The gunman was ultimately neutralized as he moved towards East Sixth Street. It is currently unclear whether the attacker was shot and killed by responding officers or whether he took his own life.

Austin bar mass shooter possibly motivated by Iran attacks, Quran found in car as FBI eyes terrorism after 2 killed, 14 injured https://t.co/jmWCV7Rker pic.twitter.com/2Kj72YG9Ke

— New York Post (@nypost) March 1, 2026

The shooting resulted in three deaths, including the suspected gunman, who was pronounced dead at the scene along with two victims. Fourteen others were wounded and transported to area hospitals, with three of the injured listed in critical condition.

A bomb squad inspected the suspect’s SUV after items inside raised concerns, but officials confirmed it was cleared quickly with no explosive device found.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force quickly joined local authorities based on preliminary evidence. While speaking at a news conference on Sunday morning, Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office indicated that the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and then his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism,” Doran said.

Doran emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages. “There were indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism. Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that,” he added.

The suspect has not been identified by authorities as of this report. Other than confirmation that the suspect was a man, no additional physical description, name, or background details have been released at this time.

Investigators are currently processing an expansive crime scene and are expected to provide more details in the coming hours.

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