‘In an instant, our lives changed’: UT family pleads for help after Austin shooting

Rodolfo Garza Jr. was critically injured when a gunman fired shots at a bar on 6th Street.

Bouquets of flowers are placed outside Buford’s on west 6th street in Downtown Austin, Texas on Monday, March 2, 2026. Three people are dead including a shooter and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting at Buford’s on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Rodolfo Garza Jr., known to friends and family as Rudy, was critically wounded by a gunshot to the head during the violence. He remains in the intensive care unit, where doctors are working around the clock to stabilize him, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by his mother, Cynthia Hernandez.

“In an instant, our lives changed forever,” Hernandez wrote in a public plea for support.

Rudy is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying mechanical engineering and on track to graduate in May 2026. For his family, that milestone represented years of sacrifice and hope. He is the first in his Hispanic family to pursue this path—”his education represents sacrifice, resilience, and hope for a brighter future,” his mother wrote.

Now, instead of preparing for graduation, he is fighting to survive.

Doctors say his injuries are severe, according to the GoFundMe. “He faces ongoing critical care, possible surgeries, and a long and uncertain recovery that will likely require extensive rehabilitation.”

An Austin resident that asked not to be named places flowers at a small memorial outside Buford’s on west 6th street in Downtown Austin, Texas on Monday, March 2, 2026. Thie resident said he lives nearby and has been to Buford’s, a popular bar on west 6th. Three people are dead including a shooter and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting at Buford’s on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

His mother, a nurse and single parent, has left her job to remain at his bedside. The family now faces mounting medical bills, lost wages and basic living expenses. “I have dedicated my career to caring for patients in their most vulnerable moments. Today, I sit beside my own child’s hospital bed.”

This weekend’s shooting has sent shockwaves through the Austin community. The violence erupted in the early morning hours Sunday outside of Buford’s, a bar on Austin’s popular Sixth Street. There, gunfire directed at the establishment from a single assailant left three people dead and more than a dozen others wounded, shattering the night with chaos and terror. According to law enforcement officials, the suspected gunman, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagnewas, was wearing a sweatshirt with the words “Property of Allah.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Austin Police Department are still working to determine a motive.

The shooting has claimed the lives of three people, officials said. The victims identified are 21-year-old Savitha Shan, 19-year-old Ryder Harrington and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, according to the Austin Police Department. At least two patients remain in critical condition, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said.

In the hours after Rudy was hospitalized, more than 100 friends—classmates from high school and college—flooded the hospital with food, prayers and messages of support. “Their presence has been a source of comfort and strength for both Rudy and our family during this unimaginable time. It is a testament to how many lives he has touched with his kindness and spirit.”

“He has always fought for his dreams with humility and dedication,” Hernandez wrote. “Today he is fighting for his life.”

“Asking for help is not easy for our family,” Hernandez continued. Her GoFundMe has already raised $156,332 as of Tuesday afternoon. “We were raised to work hard, stay strong and push forward through hardship.” But standing beside her son’s hospital bed, she said the reality is overwhelming.