ALERRT MAY HAVE PREVENTED A GREATER LOSS OF LIVES AND INJURIES

Texas-based ALERRT program under spotlight after Austin mass shooting 

 

by Eric Henrikson

 

KXAN

Mar 2, 2026 

6th Street mass shooting on March 1, 2026.

 

AUSTIN — As Austin recovers from this past weekend’s mass shooting, law enforcement leaders said specialized active-attack training developed in Central Texas likely prevented even greater loss of life.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis praised the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program — known as ALERRT — saying the training they provided helped guide the coordinated response between first responders and EMS.

“That training, there is no doubt, and with that coordinated response with EMS, saved lives,” Davis said.

 

John Curnutt highlights the breaching training course at ALERRT’s facility. 

 

Training for chaos

A few miles from San Marcos, ALERRT operates a quiet, steel‑reinforced training campus designed to withstand live gunfire and simulate the chaos officers see in real active‑attack situations. Law enforcement from across the country train there.

“As you see, the building is steel,” ALERRT Assistant Executive Director John Curnutt said while knocking on a wall. “So it’s designed to contain any rounds that are fired inside.”

 

Training courses provided by ALERRT prepare law enforcement for mass shooting events. 

 

Curnutt said every scenario is built to feel real.

He said the goal is “to try to design the stress inoculation into the reality based training, make it as realistic and as stressful as possible.”

Investigators exploring a terrorism connection

The shooting investigation includes a possible connection to terrorism, according to the FBI. Curnutt said a connection like this doesn’t change the core of what they do but can alter their tactics.

“A lot of these terrorist threats will fight harder,” Curnutt said. “They won’t give up like we see some, you know, domestic attackers do.”

He warned officers may face suspects who intend to fight until they are stopped.

“Just showing up is not going to scare them into submission this time,” he said. “They’re going to try to kill us as long as we let them.”

Curnutt said ALERRT will analyze the Austin attack and incorporate new lessons into future training.

How civilians react: ‘No right way’

In the hours after the shooting, social media filled with video showing people ducking for cover, running or staying behind to help the injured. Curnutt said fear and confusion are normal.

“It’s incredibly scary. It’s very stressful, chaotic,” he said. “It’s a reality that if you have 100 people in a room, not everyone’s going to think the same way and act the same way at the same time.”

 

Investigators on the scene of mass shooting at Buford’s on downtown Austin’s 6th Street on March 1, 2026. 

 

Witness Paula Hoberg was among those who dropped to the ground. “I heard a lot of gunshots and we dropped to the floor,” she said.

Others fled immediately.

“Some people will react quickly and some won’t react at all,” Curnutt said. “A lot of people are stuck in denial of, is this really happening? I can’t believe this.”

Avoid, Deny, Defend

ALERRT teaches a three‑step response for civilians during an active shooting:

• Avoid: Escape the area if you can.
• Deny: If escape isn’t possible, hide and create barriers.
• Defend: Fight back only as a last resort.

“Everyone has a right to defend yourself, but the ability to defend yourself is a little bit different,” he said. “They’re armed and you’re not.”

Despite the trauma of events like this weekend’s shooting, Curnutt hopes the event doesn’t lead people to fear going out.

“Just have a plan,” he said. “You don’t have to be paranoid. You just got to be prepared.”

ALERRT’s civilian response and casualty‑care course also trains members of the public on how to handle a mass‑casualty situation and help the injured.