Austin 6th Street shooting: Buford's announces reopening, donation of sales

AUSTIN, Texas - The west 6th Street bar where a mass shooting took place this past weekend has announced its reopening plans. 

A total of 19 people, including the gunman, were shot outside the bar on Sunday, March 1. Three victims have died, including two college students. 

What we know:

The bar, Buford's Backyard Beer Garden, announced they will reopen on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m.

They will also donate 100 percent of all sales from Friday through Sunday to the victims and families who were impacted by the shooting. 

Buford's full statement

What they're saying:

"Over the past several days, we’ve spent time together as a team reflecting, supporting one another, and carefully considering how to move forward after the tragedy at Buford’s.

After many conversations with our staff, we’ve decided to reopen Friday, March 6th at 6 PM. 40 of our 41 team members shared they feel ready to return, and we want to support them not only emotionally, but also in their ability to provide for themselves and their families. For many, Buford’s is more than a workplace, it’s their primary source of income and a place where they feel supported and not alone. It has also long been a home for many in our community, and returning to a sense of routine and togetherness, while difficult, can be an important part of healing.

We’ve been in close coordination with law enforcement and city leadership to ensure we reopen as safely as possible. There will be an increased police presence at 6th and Rio Grande, and Rio Grande will be closed to through traffic from 6th Street to the alley from 10 PM to 4 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. We are also implementing additional safety measures, including plans to install protective glass along the beer garden moving forward.

After listening closely to our staff and reflecting on what would best support both them and our community, we believe reopening is the right step forward.

To honor those affected, we will donate 100% of all sales from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to the victims and families most impacted by this tragedy.

We move forward with heavy hearts, deep gratitude for our team and community, and a commitment to stand together."

Austinites speak on reopening

Local perspective:

Some say reopening is a step toward moving forward, while others say it's happening too soon. The community is left processing the tragedy.

"We consider West 6th safe. Of course, we know East 6th, east of Congress, has had its problems. That's called Dirty 6th. But when our kids say they're on West 6th that we feel like, okay, they're going to be safe," said Jonna Juul-Hansen, longtime Austin resident. 

Longtime Austin resident, Jonna Juul-Hansen stopped by the memorial outside of Buford's to pay her respects Thursday. 

As a mother, she says it hits close to home for her.

"I really see that these kids are my kids' age. Kids were just out to have a good time. And the one kid that moved had moved to Austin two weeks ago because he had dreams of creating his life in Austin and the other kids are in college, and it's just heartbreaking," said Juul-Hansen. 

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For some who work nearby, the quick return to normal has been hard to process.

"I came back to work and it kind of just feels like business as usual. I've been seeing people leaving flowers and I walk by Buford's every day on my way to my car, and usually they're just like playing in sync, and it's hard to even adjust to that reality," said Isabel Glatthorn, an Austin resident. 

Some people support the decision.

"This is something that cannot be predicted. If we were to continue to just stop everything we had because of a single incident, our society would quickly fall down," said Noah Pruneau, an Austin resident. 

Others say there’s no clear right answer.

"I'm not really sure what the protocol is supposed to be. I don't think anyone really knows. Maybe I hope that people come out and support them. But I also feel for the people who are involved in the tragedy, who might not feel great about the opening," said Glatthorn. 

Some believe the community needs more time.

"I feel like there needs to be a lot more awareness of this and more time before they remove the flowers, remove the notes and the candles and open their doors," said Juul-Hansen. 

Austin 6th Street mass shooting

The backstory:

On Sunday, March 1, three people, including the gunman, were killed, and 14 others were wounded in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin's bustling Sixth Street entertainment district. Authorities said the shooting may have ties to terrorism.

It began with a call to police around 1:40 a.m. about a man shooting at Buford's. When police arrived at the scene, they confronted a man with a gun and "returned fire, killing the suspect," said Austin police chief Lisa Davis Sunday.

The gunman has been identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized US citizen born in Senegal who lived in Pflugerville. He was reportedly caught in images wearing a sweatshirt that read "Property of Allah" and had been wearing a T-shirt underneath with an Iranian flag on it.

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Davis said that the gunman had two weapons during the shooting, but never entered the bar; instead he drove by, fired outside the window with a pistol, then parked his vehicle nearby and got out with a rifle.

Davis said an explosives team was called in to evaluate the gunman's vehicle after investigators found concerning items inside. No bombs were found, however.

Davis added during a Monday press conference that the guns used in the shooting were legally purchased in 2017. The gunman was also not on APD or the FBI's radar, according to law enforcement.

Davis and the FBI say that it is still in the early hours of the investigation and that authorities are pouring over massive amounts of physical and digital evidence.

"We are pouring through thousands of hours of video. We have massive amounts of both digital and physical evidence. And this is an around-the-clock 24-hour investigation at this point. And any declarations on what led to that motive would be premature," said Alex Doran, FBI acting special agent in charge.

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