Mass Shooting at Austin’s Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden Leaves Three Dead, 14 Injured
A shooting outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, March 1, 2026, left three people dead and 14 others injured. The suspected gunman was shot and killed by police officers at the scene.
What is Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden?
Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden is an Austin bar that opened on West Sixth Street in 2017. The establishment previously housed Steampunk Saloon (opened in 2015) and Opal’s Divine’s restaurant for 13 years before that. Buford’s features an open-air format with large patios, 50 beers on draft, games, and a stage for live music. It is as well dog-friendly and features food from the Via313 food truck. According to the bar’s website, it offers a “cozy and fun atmosphere.”
Where is Buford’s Located?
The bar is located at 700 W. Sixth St. In downtown Austin, in the Market District.
Who frequents Buford’s?
Buford’s caters to a 21-and-up crowd and is popular among students and alumni of the University of Texas at Austin.
The Shooting and Investigation
According to the Austin American-Statesman, the shooting occurred shortly before 2:00 a.m. The gunman, identified as God Diagne, a 53-year-old Senegalese naturalized American citizen, opened fire on patrons from an SUV before continuing to shoot with a rifle after exiting the vehicle. Police officers responded within a minute and fatally shot Diagne.
Paramedics arrived on the scene 57 seconds after receiving the call. Three people, including the gunman, were pronounced dead at the scene, and 14 injured individuals were transported to local hospitals, with three in critical condition.
The FBI is investigating the case as a possible act of terrorism after discovering a Quran and clothing with the inscription “Property of Allah” and a design of the Iranian flag in the attacker’s vehicle.
Sixth Street Safety and Recent Incidents
Although bars in the area draw large crowds, Sixth Street west of Congress Avenue has never been blocked to vehicular traffic on weekends. East Sixth Street was previously closed to vehicles from Thursday through Sunday nights but reopened in January 2025 with the addition of rubber curbs and fencing to protect pedestrians. Austin police reported a decrease in crime on East Sixth Street following this change.
Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden has been the site of previous incidents. In June 2021, a mass shooting left one person dead and 14 injured. Another shooting in the area occurred in March 2025, leaving four injured.
Response from Officials
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and Mayor Kirk Watson praised the quick response of the police, stating it likely saved lives. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the deployment of Operation Fury Shield to protect critical infrastructure and reinforce the police presence on Sixth Street, declaring, “This act of violence will not define us. Texas will respond with decisive and overwhelming force.”