Authorities have provided new details about the suspect in the mass shooting at a crowded bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday.
Police have identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. He was fatally shot by police at the scene.
Authorities have said they are investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism. It occurred after the U.S. and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday.
At a news conference on Monday, both the FBI and Austin police said it was too soon to identify a motive for the shooting.
The Context
The shooting at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in Austin’s busy nightlife district killed three people and wounded more than a dozen others. Police on Monday afternoon identified two victims as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington. On Monday evening, police said 30-year-old Jorge Pedersen had died from his injuries.
What To Know
Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said: “Any declarations on what led to that motive would be premature, right? We want to make sure we have our facts 100 percent correct.”
Asked about reports that Diagne was wearing an undershirt with an Iranian flag design, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said investigators “are looking at the totality” of the incident.
She said: “We’re coming in and we’re getting this information and we see those indicators.”
She added: “We’re thinking about events and what’s occurring in the country as well. And so in addition to the fact that this was a huge, complex scene, we’re calling in those federal partners to take a look at that as well…the motives, all of those things, that’s what this investigation is about right now.”
Davis said police will soon release body camera footage and information about the suspect, including details about his criminal history. “We will be releasing info as quickly as possible later this week, potentially Thursday,” she said.
Davis also told reporters that Diagne had legally acquired the guns used in the attack on Sunday in San Antonio several years ago.
Diagne was a naturalized citizen who was originally from Senegal, according to multiple reports.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Newsweek that Diagne first entered the U.S on a B-2 tourist visa on March 13, 2000. He became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a U.S. citizen and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in April 2013.
He was arrest in Texas for a collision with vehicle damage in 2022, the DHS said.
What People Are Saying
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said during a news conference: “We are still in the early hours of this investigation. This is a complicated and large crime scene. Our priority is finding answers and the motives behind this crime.”
Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said: “Our ultimate goal in everything we do is to determine the motive.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said during the news conference: “We are all mourning together and grieving as a group, but we’re seeing tremendous compassion and love coming out of the people of Austin. And so I urge everyone at this moment of trauma to reach out to each other and take care of each other and take care of our home.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement on Sunday: “This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans. 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.”
Abbott said on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria on Monday that Texas is taking the possibility of terrorist activity “seriously.”
He said: “You oftentimes see when there’s a war breaking out like this, where the United States may be going against a country like Iran, that you could have either sleeper cells or lone wolves acting, and that’s exactly why we increased the number of Texas Department of Public Safety officers to be patrolling the streets and patrolling sensitive areas and why I deployed the Texas National Guard to do the same thing.”
What Happens Next
Davis said the police department is working with the FBI to gather and review evidence in the case. Doran said investigators are looking at thousands of hours of video footage, while Davis said there are more than 150 witnesses to interview.
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