AUSTIN, Texas — Panic and fear loomed over Austin's 6th Street after the sounds of music and people quickly turned into gunshots.
"I heard somebody yell, 'There's a shooting, everybody get down,' and then everybody just dropped down to the floor and quickly started exiting toward the back," said Tiffany Larson who was visiting Austin during the deadly shooting.
Larson was at Friends Bar, just across the street from where Austin police shot and killed a man who they say tried to enter a bar with a gun. The man pointed a weapon at officers after he was approached by APD, which led to the shooting.
Larson says fortunately everyone stayed calm, which helped ease the tension in the room. Nevertheless, it was a night she won't soon forget.
"I just want to give a shoutout to the police officers that were there on the scene and acted quickly because this could have definitely been, I imagine, a lot worse than it was," Larson said.
Bullet holes were left behind at the front doors of Soho Lounge and Gnar Bar, but officials wouldn't confirm if the shooting took place outside those bars.
Chris Crow who owns the Yup Lounge off E. 6th Street said his immediate reaction was to lock the doors.
"You see the sirens, you see all the cop cars, you see the ambulance coming down, so we lock the doors," Crows said. "We inform everybody that there is a situation."
Crow said at the time he didn't know exactly what happened but was only concerned with keeping his staff and customers safe. He said the situation was unfortunate, but felt everyone handled it as best they could. Crow says he's now looking into upping security at the bar.
"This is kind of a setback for us, but it's something that that we can learn from," said Crow. "We're already looking at different safety procedures and getting new glassware for the front of the building."
Crow stressed that 6th Street is a place where so many people earn a living, and only hopes Saturday's image won't taint the place he and others work so hard for.
"We're coming out of multiple mass shootings just across the country, so when you hear about a shooting that happens right next to you, right next to businesses ... If you just take this one-half block, you have 20 businesses in a half a block -- it affects all of us," Crows said. "This area is not an unsafe area, but unfortunately, we have to be prepared for events like that to happen."
The Downtown Austin Alliance who are part of the "Safer Sixth Street" Initiative, which was launched in response to Austin's 2021 mass shooting, released the following statement on Saturday night's deadly incident:
"Downtown is the heart of our city, and the Downtown Austin Alliance is saddened to hear of an incident of gun violence on Sixth Street early this morning.
We commend the employee and local law enforcement for their timely response to the incident that took place today, as their rapid response was likely key in preventing further injuries. Our hope is those who were injured make a quick and full recovery.
Austin, like most large U.S. cities, must work to identify effective ways to alleviate crime downtown – this includes the need for adequate police staffing that corresponds with our growing population.
While we remain one of the safest cities in the nation, it is critical that our leaders prioritize public safety in order to deter those who wish to inflict harm on others. To that end, the Downtown Austin Alliance will continue to be a resource and support all efforts that make downtown as safe as possible.”