Deadly Texas bar shooting being investigated as potential terrorism

A mass shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, left two people dead and 14 wounded early Sunday, with federal authorities investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism. The suspected gunman, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was shot and killed by police within 57 seconds of officers arriving at the scene.

The shooting erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in Austin’s entertainment district. Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal, never entered the bar but opened fire from the street using both a pistol and an AR-style rifle, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.

The attack left 17 people shot in total, with three victims remaining hospitalized in critical condition. The identities of the victims have not been released.

According to investigators, Diagne drove a large SUV past the bar several times before the attack. He activated his flashers, rolled down his window, and began shooting a pistol at patrons on the bar’s patio and in front of the building. He then drove approximately two blocks westbound on Sixth Street, parked his vehicle, and exited on foot with a rifle before firing at pedestrians in the area.

Officers responding to reports of the shooting encountered the suspect “coming toward them” and opened fire, killing him, Davis said.

The FBI is leading the investigation into whether the shooting constitutes an act of terrorism. Authorities discovered several items they described as potential terrorism indicators on the suspect’s body and in his vehicle, including a shirt reading “Property of Allah” and another bearing an Iranian flag design. A Quran was also found in the vehicle.

“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and then his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.”

The shooting occurred one day after Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Officials are probing whether U.S. military action against Iran may have influenced the attacker.

Diagne entered the United States in the early 2000s and initially settled in New York City, living in the Bronx until approximately 2008. He later established addresses in San Antonio, Texas. Law enforcement sources confirmed he had a documented history of mental illness and prior arrests in both Texas and New York.

The incident marks at least the third high-profile shooting in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district in the past five years. A 2021 shooting in the area left 14 people wounded.

The FBI San Antonio Division and Austin Police Department continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack. Authorities are working to establish a definitive motive and determine whether the shooting meets the legal criteria for domestic terrorism.