A mass shooting outside Buford’s bar in downtown Austin, Texas, early Sunday left three people dead, including the suspect, and 14 others wounded, prompting a terrorism investigation as authorities examine potential links to Iran.
Police identified the shooter as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a Senegalese national and naturalized U.S. Citizen. Officers shot and killed Diagne at the scene after he opened fire on patrons of the popular university student hangout, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist groups, reported that Diagne had expressed “pro-Iranian regime sentiment and hatred for Israeli and American leadership” in Facebook posts dating back to 2017. SITE also noted Diagne had posted a picture of himself holding what appeared to be an assault rifle.
FBI Special Agent Alex Doran, of the bureau’s San Antonio field office, stated Sunday that “there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism,” but cautioned it was “still too early to make a determination” on whether the shooting constituted an act of terrorism. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is assisting Austin police in the investigation.
Representative Chip Roy, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, shared an image on X purportedly showing Diagne wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase “Property of Allah” and holding a rifle.
The shooting occurred amid heightened security concerns following recent U.S. And Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The FBI has placed its counterterrorism and intelligence teams “on a heightened state of alert,” according to Director Kash Patel.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he was increasing security at energy facilities, ports, and along the U.S.-Mexico border in response to the escalating tensions. Abbott stated that Texas “will respond with decisive and overwhelming force” to protect the state from any potential threats.
Authorities responded to reports of gunfire near Buford’s bar at approximately 1:58 a.m. Sunday. Police confronted Diagne, who initially fired on customers from his vehicle before exiting and continuing to shoot at pedestrians. Three officers returned fire, killing the suspect, according to Chief Davis.
Three of the 14 wounded remained in critical condition as of Sunday, officials said. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson described the event as “traumatic” for the city and expressed his support for the victims and their families.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the situation, according to spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
