Austin 6th Street shooting: APD officers respond in less than 1 minute

AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Police Department is getting recognition for their rapid response to the mass shooting at a west 6th Street bar. 

Police said 19 people were shot, including the gunman, on March 1 at Buford’s.  

What they’re saying:

In 57 seconds, Austin police officers arrived on the scene. Officers responded to the call for help in record time.

“We’re not talking about minutes,” said Michael Bullock, the President of the Austin Police Association. “We’re talking about seconds from the time that it starts to the time that we’re there. It’s just incredible.”

Officers responded in under a minute to the mass shooting on West Sixth Street, immediately jumping into action.

“We see all across the country where these have happened, where the death toll can rise very quickly, and police response time is a key factor,” said Bullock. 

In total, 19 people were struck by gunfire, resulting in the deaths of three victims and injuries to more than a dozen others.

Michael Martin lives three blocks from Buford’s. 

“I heard about 20 to 30 gunshots, and I put my head out on my patio and saw all the police come with the sirens, so I realized it was nothing good,” Michael Martin said.

The attack outside Buford’s in downtown could have been much worse if police had not arrived when they did.

“Our target time is 10 minutes, and 44 seconds is a quick response time,” said Bullock. “When you look across the country for active shooter incidents, police usually get there around the three- to four-minute mark, which is obviously significantly quicker, but to get there in under a minute is huge.”

Three officers fired their service weapons, ultimately killing the shooter. Per department protocol, those officers have been placed on administrative leave.

“Our public safety professionals did a tremendous job, moving quickly and bravely to make sure that lives were saved,” said Austin City Mayor Kirk Watson. “There were lots of acts of heroism on Sunday morning.”

Travis County District Attorney José Garza issued a letter stating the review of the case is closed and declined to pursue criminal charges. According to APD, it is in the process of closing its internal investigation as well.

“It’s just been a phenomenal response, and it means the world to our department, to our officers, to see that type of response,” said Bullock. 

The FBI released a statement Friday commending the “extraordinary bravery and swift response of APD officers during the shooting.”

What you can do:

For anyone who would like to support the officers who responded to the shooting, you may donate to the Austin Police Benevolent Foundation’s website. 

It is a nonprofit organization that exists to take care of the officers who take care of our city. The foundation provides support in a variety of different ways, like supporting officers and their families in moments of crisis, medical needs, or counseling to help in processing trauma related to instances like these.