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At least three people died and 14 others were injured following a mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, early on Sunday, March 1, police said.
The suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers at the scene. Authorities said 14 people were hospitalised, three of whom were in critical condition.
The shooting occurred outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden just before 2 a.m. (08:00 GMT) along Sixth Street, a popular nightlife district near the University of Texas at Austin.
Alex Doran, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said earlier on Sunday that a motive had not yet been determined. However, he noted that “there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.”
“In terms of specifically what type of terrorism, we’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism,” Doran told reporters at a news conference. “It’s still too early to make a determination on that.”
According to Lisa Davis, the Austin police chief, the suspect drove past the bar several times before stopping and firing a pistol from the window of his SUV at people on a patio and in front of the venue.
The attacker then parked the vehicle, exited with a rifle and began shooting at pedestrians in the area before responding officers shot him at the intersection, Davis said. Police confirmed that three of the injured victims remained in critical condition as of Sunday morning.
