Attacker Opens Fire Outside Bar, Killing 2 and Wounding 14

Two people were killed and 14 wounded in a mass shooting at a popular bar in the Texas capital of Austin, authorities said Sunday. An FBI official said the attack was "potentially" an act of terrorism, the AP reports. Police Chief Lisa Davis said a man in an SUV drove up near the bar, put the vehicle's flashers on, lowered his window, and began shooting with a pistol, striking patrons on the bar patio and in front of the bar. He then parked the vehicle, got out of his car armed with a rifle, and began shooting at people who passed by. At that point, Davis said, officers encountered the suspect and fatally shot him.

Police were notified of the shooting at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden, in the city's nightlife district, just before 2am. EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said the 14 people injured were taken to hospitals. Of those wounded, three were in critical condition. Mayor Kirk Watson praised the rapid response by police and rescuers. "They definitely saved lives," Watson said. Paramedics are assigned to the entertainment district on weekends, which Luckritz said enabled them to begin treating the victims instantly, per KVUE.