3 dead in Austin bar shooting, FBI investigating terrorist 'indicators'

James Powel, USA TODAYSun, March 1, 2026 at 7:37 PM UTC

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At least three people are dead following a shooting at a bar in Austin early Sunday, March 1 that is being investigated by the FBI as a "potential" act of terrorism.

Austin Police said that two people were killed in the shooting, and Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed at a news conference that the suspect was killed by police.

Davis said that the suspect circled the Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden several times in an SUV just before 2 a.m. local time, stopped and then fired a pistol from the car. He then parked and exited the vehicle and continued shooting with the pistol and then a rifle.

Officers who were stationed in the entertainment district where the bar is located shot and killed the gunman, Davis said. The suspect has yet to be named.

Members of the FBI and local law enforcement investigate after a mass shooting outside of Buford's bar in downtown on March 1, 2026 in Austin, Texas. Three people are dead and 14 others are hospitalized following a mass shooting early Sunday morning.

Fourteen people were transported to the hospital from the scene. Three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Chief Robert Luckritz said at the news conference.

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Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said at the news conference that the suspect had "indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism."

Doran did not disclose what the "indicators" were when asked at the news conference, saying that "it's very early stages of the investigation and we wouldn't want to potentially impute any of any further investigative actions."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that President Donald Trump has been "briefed on the shooting."

The shooting occurred the same day at least nine people were injured in a mass shooting during an event at a concert venue in Cincinnati. There have been 56 mass shootings, in which four or more people were injured, so far in 2026, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 dead in Austin shooting, FBI investigating terrorist 'indicators'

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