{"id":187886,"date":"2026-03-03T05:02:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/187886\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T05:02:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T05:02:07","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-deadly-austin-bar-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/187886\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the deadly Austin bar shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) \u2014 A gunman in Texas opened fire on a crowded bar<\/a> in Austin\u2019s busy nightlife district over the weekend before being fatally shot by police in an attack that authorities were investigating as a potential act of terrorism. <\/p>\n

The shooting early Sunday killed three people and wounded more than a dozen others. The suspect was wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words \u201cProperty of Allah,\u201d a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

The mass shooting happened after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran<\/a>. The FBI and Austin police said they were still looking into the motive behind the shooting, which sent people in the bar and surrounding streets scrambling for cover. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about the shooting:<\/p>\n

Suspect fired first shots, parked, then fired again<\/p>\n

Police said the gunman drove past Buford\u2019s Backyard Beer Garden before circling back and firing the first shots from his SUV at people on the sidewalk and inside the bar early Sunday.<\/p>\n

Some college students dove for cover while others were motionless inside the bar and across the street next to a food truck, trying to understand what was happening.<\/p>\n

The shooting stopped for a moment. The police chief said the suspect parked, got out with a rifle and began shooting at others before officers rushed to the intersection and shot him.<\/p>\n

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis identified two victims as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington. Austin Police announced Monday evening that 30-year-old Jorge Pederson had died from his injuries.<\/p>\n

Harrington joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Texas Tech University in 2024, the fraternity said in an Instagram post<\/a>. Shan\u2019s LinkedIn profile<\/a> listed her as a dual-degree student majoring in management information systems and economics at the University of Texas.<\/p>\n

University president says shooting affected students<\/p>\n

The bar is on Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs near the flagship campus of the University of Texas system. The school is one of the nation\u2019s largest universities with 55,000 enrolled students.<\/p>\n

Nathan Comeaux, a 22-year-old senior, spent the evening there with friends and said the bar was \u201cfull of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of those affected included \u201cmembers of our Longhorn family,\u201d University President Jim Davis said, using the name of the school\u2019s mascot. <\/p>\n

Police taped off several square blocks around Sixth Street after the shooting. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and other federal investigators joined local police at the scene. <\/p>\n

Shooter was originally from Senegal and legally bought weapons<\/p>\n

Both the FBI and police in Austin said Monday that it\u2019s too soon to identify the motive.<\/p>\n

Police identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. The gunman legally bought the pistol and rifle he used in the attack several years ago in San Antonio, the police chief said. <\/p>\n

Diagne was originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.<\/p>\n

He first entered the U.S in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, becoming a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n

Associated Press reporters on Monday were unable to reach Diagne\u2019s family members in the Austin area or his ex-wife, who recently was listed as living near San Antonio. A person who answered the door at a house listed for his ex-wife declined to comment and told a reporter to talk with investigators.<\/p>\n

Police responded within one minute<\/p>\n

The entertainment district has a heavy police presence on weekends, and officers were able to confront the gunman within a minute of the first call for help, the police chief said.<\/p>\n

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the fast response by police and rescuers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey definitely saved lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Comeaux, the UT Austin senior, filmed the suspect<\/a> as he walked toward Buford\u2019s with his gun pointed at officers, and officers fired at him. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe shooter was walking towards where I was and towards where the bar was, where there could have been 10 times as much damage if he\u2019d gone back to the bar where hundreds of students were hiding,\u201d Comeaux said. \u201cSo I\u2019m just very grateful for the heroic police officers who were able to stop the suspect.\u201d <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

McAvoy reported from Honolulu. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Alanna Durkin Richer, Eric Tucker and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed.<\/p>\n