Just before 2 a.m. on a balmy March 1, hundreds of young people were crammed inside the bar and on the outdoor patio of Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a West Sixth Street staple known for its giant ever-changing light-up sign and party atmosphere. Within minutes, an armed gunman, brandishing two weapons, killed three people and injured 15 others. 

Below is a reconstruction of that morning’s tragic events and its aftermath, according to reports from Austin police. 

Warning: The videos below contain images that may be disturbing for some viewers.

Editors:
Courtney Sebesta, Editor-in-Chief
Katey Psencik, Breaking and Trending Editor
Randi Stevenson, Managing Editor, Audience & Innovation
Alice Bazerghi, Subscriber Engagement Editor
Kiah Collier, Metro Editor
Michel Fortier, Regional Director of Visuals
Monte Bach, Regional Director of Multimedia
Ricardo B. Brazziell, Deputy Visuals Editor

Reporters: 
Tony Plohetski, Investigative Reporter
Austin Sanders, Public Safety Reporter
Claire Osborn, Williamson County Reporter
Dante Motley, Breaking News Reporter
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Latino Communities Reporter
Faith Bugenhagen, Breaking and Trending Reporter
Lily Kepner, Higher Education Reporter

Photographers: 
Aaron E. Martinez, Visual Journalist
Efren Salinas, Video Content Producer
Jay Janner, Senior Visual Journalist
Mikala Compton, Photojournalist
Sara Diggins, Visual Journalist