Two people were killed while over a dozen others were injured in a shooting outside a beer garden in American’s Austin, Texas, on Sunday (March 1). The FBI has designated the shooting, which came a day after the US-Israel strikes on Iran, as a terrorism-related crime.
The gunman, identifed as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was shot dead by the police and has been identified as a Senegalese national and naturalised US citizen living in Pflugerville. According to reports, at the time of the attack, Diagne wore a sweatshirt that read ‘Property of Allah.
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Clips circulating on social media, filmed inside the bar, showed several people sprawled on the floor while paramedics provided medical care.
Let us take a look at the incident.
How did the shooting unfold?
A deadly shooting took place on Sunday (March 1) in Austin, Texas, when a gunman opened fire in front of Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, which is quite a popular with university students. Two people were killed while 14 others were injured in the attack, before the police fatally shot him.
The police received calls of an active shooter around 2 am local time near Buford’s bar. Officers who were on patrol in the more popular, crowded bar district known as East Sixth Street quickly responded to calls.
The attacker has been identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. Image courtesy: @bennyjohnson/X
According to the police, a man in a large SUV drove by the bar, turned on his hazard lights, lowered his window, and opened fire, striking people seated on the patio and standing on the pavement outside.
The suspect then parked his vehicle close by, exited with a rifle, and headed back towards the bar. He was confronted by three officers at an intersection, where he was shot and killed, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told news website BBC.
What do eyewitnesses say about the shooting?
Two people lost their lives while 14 others were injured in the attack. Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services director Rob Luckritz said that three of the 14 individuals taken to the hospital were listed in critical condition.
Kelson Lee, 25, was within earshot when shots rang out at Buford’s. According to the Austin Current, he went inside in search of a friend. “I saw seven or eight bodies on the floor,” he said. “No one should ever have to witness that. I froze — I just felt helpless, even though I wanted to help.”
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As per NBC News, University of Texas senior Nathan Comeax had been celebrating two friends turning 21 at Buford’s on Saturday night. He left just before 2 am to get pizza across the street and had barely taken a seat when shots rang out. At first, the people around him didn’t panic. But when police arrived minutes later and confronted the gunman, “people realised it was serious” and began to run, he said.
Comeax said he saw police officers engage the shooter and heard around eight gunshots as the shooter fired at officers and they shot back. “If he had made it back to Buford’s, it would’ve been much worse, with hundreds of people holed up in the bar,” Comeax said of the gunman.
Who was the shooter?
Following the incident, the shooter has been identified as Ndiaga Diagne. He was a Senegalese citizen who arrived in the US on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa during Bill Clinton’s administration. He legally became a permanent citizen when he married a US citizen in June 2006, reported The Post.
The shooter had a history of mental health episodes in Austin. Image Courtesy: @bennyjohnson/X
On April 5, 2013, early in Barack Obama’s second term as president, he was granted US citizenship even as his criminal record in New York and Texas continued to grow. He was arrested in 2022 in Texas for a collision with vehicle damage, a Homeland Security official told NBC News.
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According to two law enforcement sources who spoke to CBS News, investigators said the shooter had a history of mental health episodes in Austin.
What was his motive?
Sources told NBC News that he was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with “Property of Allah” and an undershirt displaying an Iranian flag theme at the time of the incident. The Quran was also found in the gunman’s vehicle.
Investigators are not ruling out the chances of the attack being an act of terrorism. Meanwhile, Diagne appears to have been a lone attacker with no state ties revealed in the investigation, although it is in the preliminary stages.
Many consider this to be an act of terrorism related to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement mourning the dead while explicitly referencing potential threats connected to the US and Israel’s military action against Iran.
Texas mourns with the families and loved ones of those who were horrifically killed in last night’s attack in Austin.
Cecilia and I pray for them, and we pray for the swift recovery of those who were injured.
I have been in contact with Mayor Watson and DPS Director Martin… pic.twitter.com/3Ts0R2vtY3
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 1, 2026STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Alex Doran, a special agent with the San Antonio FBI field office, said there were indicators connected to the suspect and his vehicle that point to a potential terrorism nexus. “However, it remains too early to make a definitive determination,” he added.
US President Donald Trump has been notified of the shooting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Condemning the attack on social media, Republican Senator Ted Cruz wrote, “What happened early this morning in Austin was a senseless act of violence. My team and I are coordinating with local, state, and federal authorities.” He further said, “I’m grateful for the heroic and quick response from law enforcement.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson commended police and first responders for their rapid action, noting that officials said they responded within 57 seconds. “I’m very thankful for the speed,” he said, adding that their response “definitely saved lives.”
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This is an extremely difficult, traumatic moment for our City. Our hearts go out to the families and the victims of this tragedy.
The rapid response from our first responders and police officers saved countless lives. I am very proud of them. APD officers bravely and quickly… https://t.co/mycApzO3Di
— Mayor Kirk Watson (@KirkPWatson) March 1, 2026
Several videos of the attack have been circulating online. Footage recorded by a witness appears to show gunfire erupting as people cry out and crouch to shield themselves. In a separate video, several people who appear hurt can be seen lying under the bar’s string lights, with overturned drinks around them and sirens sounding.
Texas, like most US states, allows private firearm sales without requiring background checks. Residents can carry concealed handguns without a permit and purchase semi-automatic rifles without restrictions on magazine size.
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With inputs from agencies
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