Members of the FBI and native legislation enforcement examine outdoors of Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sunday in Austin, Texas. – Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Early Sunday morning, simply as bars alongside Austin’s bustling Sixth Street have been winding down for the night time, a barrage of gunfire tore by way of the favored leisure district within the coronary heart of Texas’ capital.
A person in a big SUV rolled down his window and opened fire on bar patrons outdoors, Austin police stated. He continued his assault by driving down the road, getting out of the SUV and “shooting at people walking by,” authorities stated.
By the top of the rampage, two folks have been lifeless and 14 others have been injured. The suspect was additionally killed, police stated.
While the motive for the lethal onslaught has not been confirmed, authorities are investigating whether or not the suspect was impressed by this weekend’s US and Israeli strikes on Iran, a number of legislation enforcement officials briefed on the case stated.
Investigators are additionally digging into the person’s felony historical past and his psychological well being data, sources stated.
Here’s what we know:
Was Iran an element?
Austin police recognized the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne in a publish on X Sunday night.
This picture of Ndiaga Diagne was captured by a Tesla digital camera on the night time of the shooting, a senior legislation enforcement supply stated. The picture was initially obtained by Fox News. – Obtained by NCS
The suspect was sporting a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it beneath a hoodie printed with “Property of Allah,” a legislation enforcement official informed NCS.
“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,” Alex Doran, performing particular agent answerable for the FBI’s San Antonio division, stated Sunday morning.
A bevy of legislation enforcement officers arrived Sunday at a house related to the suspect in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin, NCS affiliate KEYE reported.
Investigators hauled containers of things from the house and examined a automotive within the driveway, KEYE reported.
Authorities looking the house have been seemingly investigating computer systems and telephones to find out if the suspect learn any propaganda or left any writings indicating what he supposed to do, an official informed NCS.
Who is the suspect?
Diagne entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B‑2 vacationer visa, a Department of Homeland Security official informed NCS. In June 2006, he adjusted his standing to lawful everlasting resident based mostly on marriage to a US citizen. He naturalized on April 5, 2013.
Ndiaga Diagne. – Austin Police Department
Diagne was initially from Senegal, a legislation enforcement official aware of the investigation informed NCS.
Upon arriving within the US, Diagne initially settled in New York and ultimately made his strategy to Texas, though it’s not clear when, the official stated. He had a number of addresses within the Lone Star State, the official added.
In 2022, he was arrested in Texas on a cost of collision with car injury, a misdemeanor offense, in response to the DHS official.
Authorities are additionally reviewing previous psychological well being encounters the suspect had whereas dwelling in Texas, a number of legislation enforcement officials have stated.
NCS has reached out to the Austin Police Department and the FBI’s San Antonio division for extra particulars.
How did the shooting unfold?
The violence erupted alongside a stretch of Sixth Street, identified for its dense focus of bars and reside music venues. The vibrant hall is a brief drive from the University of Texas at Austin, which has 55,000 college students.
Authorities first obtained a name a couple of man shooting from a big SUV outdoors Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated.
“At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled 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 that were in front of the bar,” Davis stated.
The suspect then drove west on Sixth Street, parked his SUV and received out with a rifle, the police chief stated. He then started shooting at folks strolling by, she stated.
Authorities reached the suspect in lower than a minute, Davis stated.
“Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed,” Davis stated.
Video from the scene exhibits legislation enforcement officers working towards the scene as folks duck for canopy. The lethal assault is amongst 56 mass shootings within the US up to now this yr, in response to the Gun Violence Archive.
Nathan Comeaux, a University of Texas senior, was celebrating two buddies’ twenty first birthdays at Buford’s when he left round 1:50 a.m. to seize some pizza from a meals truck throughout the road, he informed NCS. Shortly earlier than 2 a.m., he heard the sound of 15 to twenty gunshots.
“If either me or my friends had left a few minutes later, we would have been on the patio when the shooter was attacking Buford’s,” the 22-year-old recalled Monday.
After the preliminary barrage of gunfire ended, “I took out my phone to capture what was going on,” Comeaux stated. “I saw the suspect engage with the cops down the street from me. And then he was taken out by the police.”
Comeaux stated that whereas he had heard concerning the occasions in Iran, they have been the furthest factor from his thoughts when he was celebrating his buddies’ birthdays.
“Now, it is really at the front of my mind if I go out – are there going to be further shootings, further attacks?” Comeaux brazenly questioned.
“I might try to stay in for the next week or two. But at the same, it is my senior year. I have to enjoy it. And what terrorists want is for you to be afraid to go out and live your life.”
Who are the victims?
Officials have not launched the names or ages of the 2 folks killed or the 14 folks injured.
UT Austin President Jim Davis stated the tragedy included “members of our Longhorn family.”
“Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted,” he stated in a statement.
FBI brokers examine on the scene of a mass shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, on Sunday. – Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Paramedics within the space responded shortly, in response to Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.
“We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes,” Luckritz stated.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson provided his condolences to the victims and their households and praised first responders for his or her fearless, fast response.
“They definitely saved lives,” Watson stated.
Three of these hospitalized have been in crucial situation, officials stated.
Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the assault and directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to extend patrols and legislation enforcement personnel within the Sixth Street space on weekends.
Abbott additionally warned the state would reply aggressively to anybody “using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans.” He ordered the Texas Military Department to activate patrols to guard communities and demanding infrastructure, together with power amenities and ports.
“This act of violence will not define us,” he stated, “nor will it shake the resolve of Texans.”
NCS’s Sarah Dewberry, Chris Boyette, Holmes Lybrand, John Miller and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.
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