AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that investigators will pursue every lead to determine whether the gunman who killed two people at an Austin bar early Sunday had any connections to outside terrorist organizations.
Abbott made the remarks at a press conference focused on economic development, but addressed the weekend shooting on West 6th Street, where 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne allegedly opened fire on patrons before being shot and killed by police.
“We will not rest until every last trail or piece of information is pursued to determine if there’s anybody else involved in this whatsoever,” Abbott said. “And if so, obviously, we will track them down, find them, and bring them to justice.”
The FBI is investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism. Abbott said agents are working alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety to determine whether Diagne acted alone or had contact with others.
“This will take a while to complete the entire investigation, but it is opening up avenues for us to investigate, to ensure that we will be able to better track and better identify any other lone wolves out there, or anybody else who may have any level of connection to any terrorist organization,” Abbott said.
The governor added that the investigation would help Texas get ahead of future threats, to “attack them and get to them before they harm anybody here in the state of Texas,” he said.
Abbott said he acted within hours of the Sunday attack, announcing the deployment of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to address potential terrorist threats to both public safety and the election process.
“As long as this war is going on, we need to be safe against potential attacks like what happened in Austin, Texas this past weekend,” Abbott said. “To make sure we all remain vigilant, but also informing the public that Texas has redoubled the personnel on the ground to make sure we keep our communities as safe as possible.”
The governor also pointed to the state’s recently established Texas Cyber Command, saying it would help guard against cyberattacks.
In a statement released Monday, Abbott said the attack would not define Texas or “shake the resolve of Texans,” and warned that the state would respond with “decisive and overwhelming force” against anyone seeking to exploit the conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans or critical infrastructure.
Abbott said he has activated the Texas Military Department under Operation Fury Shield, increased DPS and National Guard patrols at energy facilities, ports and the border, and directed additional law enforcement personnel to the 6th Street entertainment district on weekends.
In addition to the two killed, 14 others were injured in the shooting. Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal, was wearing a sweatshirt reading “Property of Allah” at the time of the attack, according to officials. Authorities found an Iranian flag and images of Iranian leaders at his residence, CBS News said.
The investigation is ongoing.