Chaos Is the Constant: Lessons from West Sixth Street

In the early morning hours of March 1, 2026, a busy stretch of Austin’s West Sixth Street turned chaotic when a gunman opened fire outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, one of the city’s most crowded nightlife areas. According to investigators, the suspect, later identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, drove past the location multiple times before stopping and firing at people gathered outside the bar. He then exited his vehicle and continued shooting with a second weapon.

The attack left two people dead and 14 others injured before officers on scene confronted and fatally shot the suspect within minutes. Authorities, including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, continue to investigate the motive as the Austin community begins the difficult process of processing what happened.

Recently, I presented at a security and safety conference here in Las Vegas. I was asked what the active shooter incidents I have been part of had in common. My answer to that question is always the same.

Chaos.

The suspect’s tactics, location, and the number of victims always change, but chaos is always present. That is what makes incidents like these so challenging for our first responders. Navigating the chaos unfolding around you while still making the best decisions to end the threat and save lives is extremely difficult. The reality is that these events are rare, and many officers will go their entire careers without responding to an active shooter incident.

So how do you manage chaos when it shows up at your scene?

• to break up the “big thing” you have to do into small tasks.  This is less overwhelming and will keep forward momentum through the chaos.

• Prioritize the problem in front of you. Not every radio call, scream, or piece of information deserves equal weight. Focus on the threat that stops the killing.

• Calm is contagious.  Communicating in a calm, clear voice can calm the people around you.

• Control your breathing.  Counter the physiological effects of fear and anxiety so your emotions aren’t hijacking your decision making.

• Train for decision making under stress, not just tactics.  We tend to focus on specific scenarios in training, not how to make the proper decisions under stress.

  
  

When we look at what happened on West Sixth Street, the takeaway extends beyond tactics alone. Preparation must account for managing difficult emotions that come up during these types of incidents.  Chaos is not something we can eliminate, but it is something we can prepare our people to move through. The agencies and organizations that perform best in these moments are the ones that have trained their people to think clearly under pressure, communicate simply, and stay focused on the mission when the environment is pulling them in every direction.