AUSTIN — Federal and local law enforcement officials were searching early on Monday for a motive after a deadly mass shooting at an Austin, Texas, bar early on Sunday.
The FBI said on Sunday it was investigating a possible terrorism motive for the shooting, which began outside a bar and left two people dead and more than a dozen others injured, according to officials.
Members of the FBI conduct an investigation near Buford’s bar in downtown on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
The suspected gunman was killed in a confrontation with police officers, who were already staged in the city’s entertainment district when the shooting broke out, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference on Sunday.
The suspect was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal, sources with knowledge of the matter told ABC News.
Davis said the suspect was living in Pflugerville, Texas.
The suspect was wearing clothing that referenced Allah and a T-shirt that referenced Iran, with an Iranian flag underneath the word, according to multiple law enforcement officials.
Austin officials, including Mayor Kirk Watson, provided an update on the investigation on Monday afternoon.
Authorities said the victims have been identified as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington.
One remaining victim will be taken off life support sometime on Monday, officials said, adding that two more remain in critical condition.
Regarding a motive, the FBI said that any declarations on the shooter’s motive would be premature. Investigators said they are poring over thousands of hours of video and conducting interviews with up to 150 witnesses.
Because there was an officer-involved shooting, per the city’s policies, body camera video and additional information involving that aspect of the incident will be released later this week, “possibly Thursday.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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