Daijiworld Media Network - Austin
Austin, Mar 2: Two people were killed and 14 others injured after a gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday, in an attack that authorities are still investigating for possible terror links.
According to a report, the suspect was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a Senegalese national and naturalized US citizen residing in Pflugerville. Law enforcement sources said he had a history of mental illness.
Officials said Diagne was shot and killed by police shortly after the rampage. At the time of the shooting, he was allegedly wearing a sweatshirt reading “Property of Allah” and a shirt with an Iranian-flag theme underneath, sources told the news outlet.
Authorities said they are still determining the motive behind the attack, including whether it was an act of terrorism. “There were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism. Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that,” said Alex Doran, a special agent with the San Antonio FBI field office.
A Homeland Security official told NBC News that Diagne first entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a US citizen and was naturalized in 2013. He had previously been arrested in Texas in 2022 in connection with a vehicle collision.
US President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting on Sunday.
The incident occurred outside Buford’s, a popular beer garden located in downtown Austin, about two miles from the University of Texas at Austin campus and less than a mile from the Texas Capitol.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect may have circled the area several times in an SUV before initiating the attack. “At one point, he put his flashers on, pulled down his window and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and out in front of the bar,” she said.
The gunman later exited the vehicle with a rifle and continued firing at pedestrians along West Sixth Street before officers confronted and shot him.
Robert Luckritz, chief of the county’s emergency medical services, said three of the 14 injured victims were in critical condition. Paramedics who were already nearby reached the scene within minutes.
Nathan Comeax, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin who was celebrating friends’ birthdays at the bar, said he heard gunfire shortly before 2 am. “If he had made it back to Buford’s, it would’ve been much worse, with hundreds of people holed up in the bar,” he said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed condolences and said the state was praying for the victims. He also warned that anyone attempting to exploit the Middle East conflict to threaten Texans would face a firm response. “This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans,” Abbott said, adding that patrols had been increased at key infrastructure sites.
Senator John Cornyn praised the swift response of police and emergency services, while other lawmakers, including state Representative James Talarico, called for action, with Talarico urging legislative steps to address gun violence.
Investigations into the attack remain ongoing as authorities continue to assess potential motives and broader security implications.