The sound of gunshots echoed through Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin, near the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), at approximately 1:58 a.m. on Sunday, March 1, in a shooting that led to the death of three civilians and injured at least 13 others. The shooting claimed the lives of Texas Tech University student and former Warrior Ryder Harrington ‘24, UT Austin student Savitha Shan, and Mr. Jorge Pederson, a 30-year-old mixed martial arts coach.

Buford’s, located on Sixth Street, is a popular gathering and entertainment spot for college students and young adults. The violence sent shockwaves through the local community, especially among Westwood families connected to UT Austin.

“[Hearing about the shooting] was terrifying because my brother goes to Sixth Street pretty often,” Duncan Grimaldi ‘28 said, “The thought of my brother dying in an attack in my own city is pretty terrifying. I wouldn’t want that to happen to anybody.”

With the shooting happening so local to student communities across Austin, the loss of Ryder, a Westwood alumni, has resonated deeply throughout the area as news of the shooting spread quickly among students, families, and faculty. 

“Tragedies such as this impact all of us, but most especially when the loss is so close to home,” Principal Erin Campbell said. “The Westwood community is close-knit. Even those who did not directly know Ryder likely know someone who did. This loss creates a ripple effect across our community.”

Ryder is remembered fondly by everyone who knew him, including his teachers. Former Westwood Geometry and Computer Science teacher Karina Kinsey recalls Ryder’s infectious positivity and the genuine joy he brought to her last geometry class before she transitioned into teaching Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes.

“He was in a small group of students I had. [Since] it was a smaller group of students, I really got to know a lot of them,” Ms. Kinsey said. “I remember him as always being happy. He always had a smile on his face, and weirdly, his haircut never changed. He had the same hairstyle, but he was always just happy. He never seemed stressed. He just always felt like he was enjoying life.”

Though two years have passed since Ryder graduated, the memories of him remain vivid. Some that stand out most were the small but unforgettable traits Ryder brought to the classroom. In a school environment where collaboration was important, Ryder was known for being outgoing, always open to working with his peers, and kind-hearted. 

“[With] such a small group of students, you have to do group things together. It’s awkward with people you don’t really know, especially as teenagers, but he never hesitated,” Ms. Kinsey said. “[Ryder] was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll work with this person.’ He was never like, ‘No, I just want to work on my own.’ He was always open to meeting new people, helping, or just ‘Hey, I kind of understand so let me show you the way.’ He was one of those students that was willing to talk with anybody and willing to share ideas.”

“I started seeing [posts about the shooting] coming in and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s been four or five years since I’ve seen him, but he was still a kid. He’s a child, he looks so happy,’” Ms. Kinsey said. “His eyes still look full of joy. It’s just a shame. He was just out having fun.”

Stories and personal memories from those who knew Ryder continue to circulate digital and physical memorials, preserving Ryder’s memory.

“[Ryder] had been one of my brother’s close friends when they were in fourth grade,” Saloni Chitari ‘28 said. “Even though they grew apart after that year, they still knew each other [and] acknowledged each other, and so it was a really sad thing to know. My brother had sent a lot of pictures of [Ryder] being in elementary school and in middle school, and seeing the person that he was was really heartbreaking.”

This shared grief has manifested in a powerful symbol of unity: Red Ribbons for Ryder. The ribbons have been tied all around the community, from school grounds to neighboring trees, honoring Ryder’s life and the joy he brought as the community mourns this loss.

“If you drive past Spicewood, every tree, every pole, everything that you can tie something around is covered in red ribbons,” Chitari said. “[My family and I] were driving home from Westwood, and everything at Westwood is covered in red ribbons. There were people in our neighborhood tying red ribbons, and people who didn’t even have kids out of elementary school were tying red ribbons around their trees. We went to Dollar Tree to try and get a bigger ribbon, and everything that was red — red tablecloth and red ribbon — was gone. It just made me see how truly connected we were as a community to celebrate the life of someone who died too early.”

The red ribbons can also be seen outside of the schools Ryder attended, including Spicewood Elementary and Canyon Vista Middle School, representing the life he lived before it was taken without warning. These ribbons stand as a visual reminder of his vivacity, creating a shared sense of loss rippling throughout the neighborhoods he grew up in.

In addition to the lives lost, this shooting raises the everlasting question of safety around college campuses as seniors commit to colleges. For some families, the excitement of acceptance letters is now linked with intense anxiety about the potentially life-threatening dangers of city life and public places.

“When I first heard about the shooting, it raised the question in my mind about the safety of Austin — especially UT — since schools are unfortunately a big target for tragedies,” UT Austin commit Sterling Woodley ‘26 said. “I will still be attending UT, but I will be weary of big crowds, specifically around Sixth Street, for the foreseeable future.”

While the shooting has raised fear and uncertainty around student life spots such as Buford’s, it has also led to small but meaningful acts of community support such as the red ribbons, visibly showing the community coming together in shared grief.

“I think [this event has impacted school communities] positively in a way, so I hope that it’s bringing people closer together,” Ms. Kinsey said, “I hope it doesn’t start to prevent [teenagers and young adults] from being able to go out and socialize. You never know what’s going to happen, but just make every day the best that you can. Enjoying life is just so important.”

“[Ryder] was still a kid in my eyes, and he was just generally overall good. There’s no bad memories I have of him,” Ms. Kinsey said. “Even if he didn’t do an assignment, he was like, ‘Oh, what can I do to fix it? What can I do to always have that positive mindset?’ I just hope that his close friends and family are alright. We want to lean on each other, and I’m pretty sure all his teachers thought of him in a positive light. I hope his family knows that too.”