ATX Pulse 5/6-5/8/26 (free): FBI Releases Update on W. 6th Shooter // Rock Throwing Suspect Arrested // AISD Releases Budget Proposal // 3 Found Dead Near Pflugerville // SpaceX Considering $55B Terafab in Grimes County // IHOP Site on I-35 Finally Sells

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026 - FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2026

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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WEATHER

Today: H: 79° / L: 63°. 20% chance of rain. AM louds, PM Sun.

Saturday: H: 86° / L: 67°. 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms.

Sunday: H: 89° / L: 68°. 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms.

Monday: H: 84° / L: 67°. Partly cloudy.

TOP NEWS

"FBI releases update into West 6th Street mass shooter's motivation" via KVUE – The FBI has released new details on the deadly mass shooting that happened over two months ago on West Sixth Street in Downtown Austin.

In a statement Thursday, the FBI’s San Antonio Division said the accused gunman acted alone in the March 1 shooting at Buford’s.

The FBI said it did not find "evidence of outside direction or radicalization" following the mass shooting and that the shooter's behavior was triggered in part by "grievances related to U.S. and Israeli military actions involving Iran..."

The shooter allegedly looked up to late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. During the time of the shooting, he wore a sweatshirt that said "Property of Allah." (KVUE)

"Suspect taken into custody after Austin police shut down Texas 71" via AAS – The Austin Police Department arrested a man after he barricaded himself under an on-ramp for over two hours near the intersection of 1st Street and West Ben White Boulevard near TX-71 on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Austin.

Austin police shut down traffic on Texas 71 Thursday afternoon after a man reportedly barricaded himself beneath the roadway.

Austin police said a suspect is in custody after a SWAT response shut down parts of Texas 71 in South Austin Thursday afternoon.

Upon arrival, officers located victims who advised that a suspect had thrown large items, such as rocks or bricks, from the overpass onto Ben White Boulevard, according to Austin police public information officer Austin Zarling. (AAS)

"AISD budget proposal highlights larger class sizes, additional cuts under review" via KXAN – The Austin Independent School District's budget proposal released Tuesday detailed a plan to reduce planning time for some teachers and increase teacher-student ratios on certain campuses. The plan does not propose cutting librarian or counselor positions. The district announced in April ‘deeper cuts’; were needed to address a $181 million budget deficit. School officials attributed the financial shortfall to various factors.

This is not the final budget proposal. Superintendent Matias Segura said in a letter to the AISD community that district officials still need to review teacher stipends, athletics, fine arts, health services, student support service contracts, IT, AISD police, transportation and superintendent and chief of staff organizations.

Elementary schools will not reduce teacher planning periods for the upcoming school year, but Band 3 and 4 schools will have larger student-teacher ratios. The following school year, teachers at Band 3 and 4 schools will have one less planning period. But schools under academic intervention plans and schools that serve the most vulnerable student populations will keep current ratios as well as two planning periods per teacher, according to the budget outline.

For secondary schools, teachers of non-foundational curriculum courses will have one less planning period the first year, while core-class teachers will still have two periods. In year two of this proposed budget cycle, core-class teachers at schools with an "unacceptable rating" will have two planning periods. Teachers at all other secondary schools will transition to one planning period. Additionally, certain schedule changes will be made "at the superintendent's discretion." (KXAN)

"Austin ISD, UT locked out of Canvas after widespread cybersecurity breach" via AAS – Austin Independent School District families were locked out of a learning management platform on Thursday because of a national cybersecurity breach affecting software platform Canvas.

The platform, also called BLEND, allows teachers to share information, lessons and assignments with parents and students in sixth grade and above.

“Families are strongly encouraged to avoid accessing the platform outside the portal until we receive confirmation from the vendor that is safe to do so,” Austin ISD officials said in a letter sent to families on Thursday afternoon.

Austin ISD’s security personnel believe the breach won’t affect other district systems but removed access to Canvas through AISD portals as a precaution. (AAS)

THE BLOTTER

"Three people found dead in home near Pflugerville, person of interest detained" via KEYE – The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after three people were found dead home near Pflugerville Thursday morning.

Officials reportedly received a 911 call at 8:29 a.m. Thursday from a relative requesting a welfare check after one of the residents of the home did not show up for work that morning.

After arriving at the home, located at the 17900 block of Civorno Drive, officers located three deceased adults. Although the home has a Pflugerville address, it is technically outside of city limits.

The victims were found to be a male and a female both estimated to be in their 60s and a male estimated to be in his 30s. All three of the individuals were found with gunshot wounds. (KEYE)

"1 killed, 4 injured in Austin-area restaurant shooting; suspects arrested" via AAS – According to the Austin Police Department (APD), the shooting happened sometime before 2 a.m. inside Down South CaJJun Eats along the 15400 block of FM 1825, near Vision Drive and Pecan Street.

One person was killed and at least four others were injured in a shooting early Wednesday morning at a restaurant in unincorporated Travis County, police confirmed.

At 1:30 a.m., Austin police responded to the shooting at Down South CaJJun Eats in the 15400 block of FM 1825, near Vision Drive and Pecan Street, according to Austin Police Department Public Information Officer Austin Zarling.

When officers arrived, they found 27-year-old Mykal Jones suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the strip mall. Officers attempted lifesaving measures, but Jones was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital around 2:13 a.m. (AAS)

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