Federal investigators are looking into whether a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday—that involved a gunman opening fire at a downtown beer garden, killing two and wounding 14—constitutes a potential act of terrorism.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said in a press conference that while it’s still too early to determine a motive, authorities found “indicators” on the alleged gunman and in his vehicle that “indicate potential nexus to terrorism.”
The suspected gunman, who was reportedly wearing clothes that bore “Property of Allah” and an Iranian flag design, was shot dead in a standoff with law enforcement.
The shooting happened just a day after the U.S. and Israel launched a major military campaign against Iran. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who expressed support for the latest Iran strike, said in a statement: “To anyone who thinks about using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans or our critical infrastructure, understand this clearly: Texas will respond with decisive and overwhelming force to protect our state.” A day before the incident, Abbott directed the Texas Military Department to activate service members to “work alongside state and federal partners to safeguard our communities and critical infrastructure,” and he directed the state’s Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard, to “intensify patrols and surveillance.”
Here’s what to know.
What happened?
Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, the suspect circled past Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sixth Street several times in a “large SUV,” before stopping and opening fire with a pistol out of the vehicle window at people on the patio and gathered outside the bar, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in a press briefing on Sunday.
The suspect parked the vehicle, stepped out with an assault rifle, and started firing at people on the street, according to Davis. Officers responding to the incident shot and killed the gunman.
The shooting took place along Sixth Street, a popular nightlife and entertainment district located a few miles from the University of Texas at Austin. Three people, including the suspect, were killed, and 14 were injured in the attack. All of those injured were transported to local hospitals, with three in critical condition, Austin EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said at the Sunday briefing. The names of the victims were released as of Sunday night.
Jim Davis, president of UT Austin, confirmed in a statement that members of the university community were among those affected by the shooting, although they have not been publicly identified. “Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family, and my heart goes out to their families, friends, classmates, professors, and loved ones,” Davis said. “As Longhorns, we feel this pain together.”
What do we know about the suspect?
The Austin Police Department identified the suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old man. Diagne, who was born in Senegal, officials told the Associated Press, first came to the U.S. in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security statement to the AP. He married a U.S. citizen in 2006 and became a lawful permanent resident, before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013.
A law enforcement official briefed on the case told CNN that Diagne was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design and a hoodie emblazoned with “Property of Allah.” The AP also reported the words and symbols on his clothes, also citing a law enforcement official.
The Austin American-Statesman reported that investigators searched a house in Pflugerville, north of Austin, linked to Diagne’s possible relative. Local television station KXAN reported that Diagne had been issued a driver’s license with an address in Pflugerville in 2017.
Neighbors speaking to the New York Times said Diagne had maintained a low profile. “They kept very much to themselves,” Chris Finch, who lived next to the searched home, said. “They didn’t really say hi or anything.”
Another neighbor and the president of the neighborhood’s homeowners association, Eddie Garcia, said he was never aware of any previous issues. “We’re all neighbors and respect each other but we are also private and keep to ourselves,” he told the Statesman.
How are authorities reacting?
Mayor Kirk Watson called the shooting “an extremely difficult, traumatic moment” for the city.
Senator Ted Cruz (R, Texas) said the shooting was a “senseless act of violence” and that he and his team are coordinating with local, state, and federal authorities over the incident.
Other Texas politicians have been united in condemning the shooting and extending condolences to victims and their loved ones, but they have been divided along partisan lines as to what’s to blame for the attack.
In a statement posted on X, eight Democrats in the Texas state legislature, including U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, said, “Gun violence continues to steal the lives of far too many Texans. Our hearts are with the victims of today’s shooting and their families. We will never stop fighting for them.”
Rep. Greg Casar (D, Texas) posted, “We must end America’s gun violence epidemic. Americans should be able to have fun at a bar without it turning into an unspeakable nightmare like this one— and I will redouble my efforts in Congress to prevent the next tragedy like this.”
“Gun violence is preventable. This devastating loss of life was preventable,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D, Texas) posted on X. “Until Republicans find the courage to say no to the NRA, our country will be plagued with more tragedies.”
Republicans, on the other hand, have blamed the attack on Islamic extremism and mass migration. Rep. Chip Roy (R, Texas) said, in response to Doggett, that “Muslim immigrant violence – naturalized or not – is preventable. Until Democrats (& Republicans) find the courage to say no to the mass migration of Islamists, our country will be plagued with more tragedies…”
In another post, Roy said the shooting in Austin was “carried out by a suspected Islamist who came on a tourist VISA, and OVERSTAYED for years,” adding that the “tragedy was preventable” and that “failed policies have real consequences.”
“Allowing unvetted immigrants who are hostile to America, who are loyal to our adversaries like Iran, must end,” Abbott, the Republican governor, said in response to a call by Talarico for stricter gun regulations. “The way to end it is to end the current open immigration policies.” (Talarico responded, “Dangerous people should not be allowed into the country. Dangerous people should not be allowed to get guns.”)
The Texas chapter of the Muslim rights advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the shooting in a statement, but it also rejected using the incident to attack the larger Muslim community.
“While a single person carried out this heinous attack last night, hundreds of thousands of Texas Muslims finished their night prayers and headed to their homes while calling on God for global peace and justice,” the statement said. “We encourage elected officials, law enforcement, faith leaders, and community members to come together to support the families of the victims and reaffirm our shared commitment to public safety.”
