Austin Police to Release West Sixth Mass Shooting Video Thursday

Austin police work at the scene of a mass shooting at Buford’s on West 6th Street on Sunday March 1, 2026.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

The Austin Police Department is expected to release video footage Thursday from the mass shooting on West Sixth Street that left three dead and 13 injured over the weekend. The suspected gunman also was killed after three responding police officers opened fire.

Since June 2020, the department has required the release of video from all officer-involved shootings and other "critical incidents". Police Chief Lisa Davis will host a noon press conference to release the materials, consistent with that policy.

Davis on Monday said the release would include officers’ body-worn camera footage. The department has not specified what additional materials, if any, will be made public.

The 2020 policy defines "critical incidents" as officer-involved shootings, certain use-of-force cases, in-custody deaths or "any other police encounter where the Chief of Police determines the release of video furthers a law enforcement purpose." The policy also requires the Police Department to "consult and seek feedback" from the Austin Police Oversight office during the production of the videos for public release.

Thursday's press conference comes a day after Travis County District Attorney José Garza clarified that his office would not present the West Sixth shooting to a grand jury despite his own longstanding policy that calls for every officer-involved shooting to be independently scrutinized for potential prosecution.

Garza had previously denied online rumors — sparked and spurred by his right-wing critics — that he would bring criminal charges against the officers, calling them "heroes," but he did not explicitly say that he would bypass the grand jury process.

He announced Wednesday in a letter to Davis that his office had closed a "review" of the case and would take no further action.

"The actions of the APD officers resulted in the death of the shooter, and because the area in which the shooting took place was still heavily populated, these actions undoubtedly saved lives and prevented additional injuries," Garza wrote in the letter.

The press conference is scheduled to start at noon. Please check back for live coverage throughout the day.