2 arrested after gun goes off inside Austin 6th Street bar

Editor's Note: The above video is previous KXAN coverage of the incident on Sixth Street on July 22, 2023.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two people were arrested after a gun went off inside someone's pocket in a Sixth Street bar Saturday morning, according to Travis County booking records.

It happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday inside The 512 on Sixth bar. General manager Corey Phikus told KXAN that someone had a gun in their jean pants pocket and it accidentally went off inside the club, ricocheting and hitting two people.

Austin-Travis County EMS said two adults had minor injuries from the incident, but the injuries were likely not the result of a direct bullet impact. One was transported to a local hospital, and the other refused transport.

Records show 26-year-old Harold Keiondre Coleman was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful carrying of a weapon in a prohibited place. Those charges are second and third-degree felonies.

Quincy Lee Joseph, 27, was charged with third-degree felony unlawful carrying of a weapon in a prohibited place, records state.

KXAN is working to find an attorney representing Coleman. KXAN reached out to an attorney connected with Joseph and will update this story if we receive a response.

Phikus said the bar has six security guards who search people with a wand. He added that it was unfortunate that someone was able to get past them.

Sixth Street Task Force

ATCEMS said its Sixth Street Rescue Task Force responded to the call. This staging area was added to improve EMS response as part of the Safer Sixth Street initiative, which launched after the 2021 shooting that killed one person and injured 14 others.

Texas law restricts carrying firearms at places that sell alcohol. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said retailers that derive 51% or more of their income from alcohol must post a red sign that says possessing a handgun on the premises is unlawful.

However, TABC records KXAN obtained in 2022 show most bars on East Sixth Street don't have to post these signs. It's unclear whether the 512 bar had one or is required to post one.

“Because of COVID-19, you had some bars that were able to change their liquor license from a bar – 51% – to a restaurant,” said Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works told KXAN in March 2022. “When you do that, you change your gun status. When you become a restaurant – guns are legal and any sized knife is legal.”

In a Downtown Safety Forum in May, APD said there hadn’t been a shooting in months.

Police said they are continuing to monitor Sixth Street to make sure people are checking for weapons and using Halo cameras to help officers.