A shooting in a busy entertainment district in downtown Austin, Texas, injured 14 people early Saturday, and police say one suspect is in custody. However, the second suspect remains at large. 

What You Need To Know

  • Fourteen people were injured in a shooting early Saturday morning in downtown Austin, Texas 

  • Two of the victims were critically injured, police said

  • The shooting took place just before 1:30 a.m. along 6th Street, a popular bar district 

  • Police say one suspect is in custody and the shooting appears to have started as an altercation between two groups

Two of the injured people were in critical condition and the remainder have been stabilized, interim Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said. Police initially reported 13 people had been injured but, during a 1 p.m. Saturday news conference, Chacon said police identified a 14th victim who self-transported for medical attention. 

Police on the scene of a shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, that injured 13 people in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)
Police on the scene of a shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, that injured 13 people in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)

Gunfire erupted just before 1:30 a.m. along 6th Street, a popular area filled with bars and restaurants. The street was barricaded to keep out vehicle traffic at the time of the shooting, Chacon said.

Chacon at 1 p.m. Saturday said it appears an altercation between two groups of people sparked the shooting. 

“Our officers responded very quickly,” the interim chief said. “They were able to immediately begin life-saving measures for many of these patients, including applications of tourniquets; applications of chest seals.”

Chacon also said some officers transported patients to hospitals in their police cruisers due to the nature of the scene, where it was hard to contain the crowd and get ambulances to those who were injured.

The Austin Police Department is being aided in its investigation by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety and the ATF. 

Investigators were reviewing surveillance video and other evidence from the area, Chacon said. He asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact police.

Police and a barricade are visible on 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas, following a shooting that injured 13 in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)
Police and a barricade are visible on 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas, following a shooting that injured 13 in this image from June 12, 2021. (Courtesy: Metro Video Services, LLC.)