Barry Chvarak

Mass Murderer

Barry Chvarak and the 1980 Starburst Lounge Massacre

The Starburst Lounge

In the early morning hours of February 3, 1980, 21-year-old Barry Raymond Chvarak carried out one of the deadliest acts of violence in the history of El Paso, Texas. The attack occurred at the Starburst Lounge, a small country-and-western bar located at 5030 Fairbanks Drive in Northeast El Paso. What had been an ordinary Saturday night of drinking, dancing and playing pool ended with five people dead, three others wounded and an entire community struggling to understand why a young man had suddenly opened fire on strangers. The shooting began at approximately 1:45 a.m., near closing time. The bartender had turned on the house lights, signaling that the night was coming to an end. Chvarak had been drinking and reportedly became involved in an argument concerning who was the better marksman. Witness accounts later indicated that he was angry and told his twin brother that he was going to shoot up the bar. His brother apparently believed the statement was an empty threat and did not realize that Chvarak intended to act on it.

The Attack

Chvarak walked outside to the parking lot and approached his truck. Instead of leaving, he retrieved a .22-caliber Marlin Model 60 semi-automatic rifle. He loaded the weapon outside and then returned to the lounge. The patrons inside had little warning before he raised the rifle and began firing across the crowded room. Witnesses described hearing several sharp popping sounds that initially resembled firecrackers. Chvarak stood near the entrance and swept the rifle across the room, firing repeatedly at people gathered near the bar, pool tables and dance floor. He reportedly fired at least 14 rounds. Several women standing near one another were struck almost immediately and fell together near the bar. Other bullets traveled through one victim and struck another person nearby. One survivor, 19-year-old Phil Sell, was facing away from the doorway when the gunfire began. A bullet struck his cheek, exited near his chin and continued into the shoulder of a woman standing nearby. Sell initially thought someone had punched him. When he touched his face and saw blood on his hands, he stumbled into the restroom while screaming and confusion spread through the lounge. Chvarak continued firing as patrons tried to take cover or escape. Randy Wayne Steele, one of the people killed, reportedly pushed a young waitress out of the line of fire. Steele was struck three times and died during the attack. The waitress later visited Steele's mother and told her that her son had saved her life. She had recently become a mother herself and promised that she would try to live a better life because of Steele's sacrifice.

The Victims

• Randy Wayne Steele, age 20 Killed on February 3, 1980, inside the Starburst Lounge at 5030 Fairbanks Drive in El Paso, Texas. Steele was reportedly shot three times after pushing a waitress out of the gunman's path.
• Kathleen Lynn Austin, age 32 Killed on February 3, 1980, inside the Starburst Lounge in Northeast El Paso.
• Marianne Laweka, age 53 Killed on February 3, 1980, inside the Starburst Lounge in El Paso.
• Jana L. Carpenter, age 29 Killed on February 3, 1980, inside the Starburst Lounge in El Paso.
• Frederick James Bergford, age 28 Killed on February 3, 1980, inside the Starburst Lounge in El Paso. Bergford was identified in reports as a soldier stationed at Fort Bliss.
• Three unidentified surviving victims Wounded by gunfire during the February 3, 1980, attack. Public reports have not consistently provided the names of all three survivors.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Randy Wayne Steele 20 yr old Male

Starburst Lounge mass shooting killed five in 1987 in El Paso bar