Key Takeaways
- A shooting outside Cabana Club in East Austin injured multiple people and left one dead, while an employee of a local gun store faces a murder charge.
- Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, supports his employees, who were attacked by a group after leaving the bar.
- One employee drew his firearm in self-defense after witnessing his coworker being severely beaten and losing consciousness.
- Cargill emphasized that his employees acted as they should, while police will investigate if the shooting was justified.
- The case highlights that self-defense claims can lead to arrest despite justification, and legal support is crucial after such incidents.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
AUSTIN, TX — The owner of a Central Texas gun store is publicly standing behind two of his employees after a fatal shooting outside an East Austin club Friday night left one person dead and multiple others injured, as the employee who fired is now facing a murder charge.
As reported by CBS Austin, the shooting occurred around 8:45 p.m. outside Cabana Club on 7th Street. Nearby business owner Jerry Musick recorded video from his shop shortly after the incident and described seeing a man clutching his stomach and others fleeing the scene. He and residents in an adjacent apartment complex reported hearing three to four shots.
12 V.S. 2 What Would You Do? pic.twitter.com/zj7bV1y39k
— Michael Cargill (@michaeldcargill) April 11, 2026
On Saturday, Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, held a press conference to address what happened. He said his two employees — an assistant manager and a sales clerk — had just arrived at the bar to spend time off the clock when the situation unfolded.
According to Cargill, a group that had been kicked out of the club earlier that night was still in the parking lot when his employees pulled up. That group allegedly mistook the two men for someone involved in an earlier dispute inside the bar. What followed, Cargill said, was an immediate and coordinated attack.
“You had 12 people that jumped on my employees,” Cargill said. He said one employee was knocked to the ground, beaten for roughly a minute, and eventually lost consciousness. His injuries include a skull fracture, a swollen and shut eye, and bruised ribs. The second employee, watching his coworker go unconscious while the assault continued, made the decision to draw his firearm.
“My employee thought that my other employee was getting ready to get killed because he had lost consciousness and they continued to pound on him,” Cargill said. “He had no choice but to pull his gun out and defend himself.”
After firing, Cargill said the employee left the scene because a dozen people were still present, then sought medical treatment at urgent care before going to St. David’s South First Hospital. He is now in custody at Travis County Jail on a murder charge. The employee who was beaten is recovering at home.
Cargill said he is providing full legal support to both employees. “I’ve made sure that my employees are covered by our attorneys,” he said. “My employees did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
Austin police have not confirmed whether the shooting was self-defense. Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock noted that investigators will consider multiple factors, including what preceded the incident, who initiated the confrontation, and the location of events.
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What Armed Citizens Should Know
This case is a good reminder that being legally justified in using force does not mean you will avoid arrest. In most states, self-defense is something you argue after the fact — not something that keeps you out of handcuffs at the scene. An arrest is not a conviction, and the legal process that follows is where self-defense claims get sorted out.
Open Source Defense published a timely breakdown of exactly what to expect after a defensive shooting — including what to say to 911, how to handle police at the scene, and why you should not give detailed statements before speaking with an attorney. It is worth a read: OSD 372: You Will Be Arrested After Using a Gun in Self-Defense. Then What?
It is also worth noting that Michael Cargill is a well-known figure in Second Amendment litigation. He was the lead plaintiff in Garland v. Cargill, the Supreme Court case that ruled the ATF had exceeded its authority when it classified bump stocks as machine guns. The Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms for exactly the kind of situation his employees found themselves in, and the legal process now underway will determine whether the use of force was justified.