Three people are dead following a shooting rampage in an Austin, Texas bar early Sunday morning. 14 more people were injured, but Austin police responded very quickly and engaged the gunman, who was killed in the exchange. At last report, several of the injured are in critical condition in area hospitals. Neither the shooter nor any of the victims have been identified as of this writing.
Here’s what makes this interesting, especially given the events of the last 48 hours: The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force was very quickly involved in the investigation.
BREAKING: An FBI official confirmed in a news conference that the shooter in Austin’s mass shooting had materials that “were indications of a potential nexus to terrorism.”
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) March 1, 2026
Note that this doesn’t indicate any motivation.
Three people were killed and 14 others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a packed bar in downtown Austin early Sunday — and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the attack.
Police responded to reports of a male shooting at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden — near the University of Texas-Austin — just before 2 a.m., officials said at a press conference.
Three officers who were patrolling the entertainment district responded to the scene in 57 seconds, confronted the gunman and “returned fire,” killing the unidentified suspect.
57 seconds, that’s fast by any measure, and we should be glad that these officers responded not only swiftly but decisively.
Here’s the interesting bit:
The gunman reportedly stormed the bar with a handgun and an assault rifle, according to the Austin-American Statesman.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation into the mass shooting — indicating that the motive of the attack could be related to terrorism.
“Officers immediately transitioned, came over East 6th to West 6th Street and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said.
There has, as yet, been no indication as to what kind of terrorism connection is suspected. As for the weapons, the long gun is almost certainly not an “assault weapon” as anyone having any elementary knowledge of firearms would define as such, the key characteristic in an actual assault weapon being full-auto capacity, but then, we’ve grown accustomed to this kind of reporting on firearms issues.
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It’s easy at this juncture to jump to conclusions. Anyone who has been following events in the Middle East for the last couple of days may well be thinking the obvious thing. But consider this: The statement that the shooter had materials that “were indications of a potential nexus to terrorism” may mean many things; it could have been an Antifa goblin, or any number of left-wing domestic groups that have been threatening violence since, oh, January of 2025.
But a bar? In Austin, a liberal bastion in Texas? It’s a rather baffling choice for a left-wing terrorist.
This is a developing story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.
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