Austin authorities have released new details about the mass shooting on West Sixth Street that left three victims dead and 19 others wounded.
The information was released by Austin Police Department in a press conference from APD Headquarters. The presser started at noon on Thursday.
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Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis played recordings of phone calls and radio traffic during the rampage. The audio illustrated a chaotic attack in which a gunman fired into a crowd and left hundreds of nearby pedestrians horrified.
Chief Davis also played surveillance footage showing the gunman during the attack, as well as bodycam footage from two responding officers showing the suspect being shot and lying still and bloodied on the sidewalk.
Authorities said 19 total people were struck by gunfire, including the suspect.
READ MORE: Austin downtown shooting: What we know about the gunman, victims and motive
Chief Davis details the moment shots were fired
According to police, officers were dispatched to the 700 block of West Sixth Street shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday morning after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired.
Officers and medics arrived within 57 seconds, Chief Davis said, a timing figure that corroborated earlier reports.
Investigators determined the suspect, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, drove a black Cadillac SUV southbound on Rio Grande Street before pulling alongside the bar.
“The driver began shooting a semi-automatic handgun into the crowd of people standing outside,” Davis said. “Several individuals were struck.”
The vehicle then drove west on Sixth Street and stopped near the intersection with Wood Street.
Police said the suspect exited the SUV armed with an AR-15-style rifle, fired at a pedestrian, and then walked back toward the bar area as officers and emergency crews were arriving.
Later in the presser, investigators confirmed that most of the victims were outside the bar or on nearby sidewalks, an area known for large weekend crowds in downtown Austin’s entertainment district.
“Sixth Street has a high concentration of people on weekends,” Davis said.
Officers confronted suspect
As officers worked to move bystanders to safety and establish a perimeter, witnesses directed police to the suspect’s location.
At 2:03 a.m., three officers located him near the intersection of West Sixth Street and West Avenue.
“The suspect discharged his firearm in the direction of the officers,” Davis said.
The officers returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times. He was taken into custody but was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the department had no prior contacts with the suspect, except for a 2022 welfare check by another agency referencing “mental health concerns.”
Community and officer response
The chief praised both officers and civilians who helped during the crisis.
“You saw firsthand that they ran into danger to stop this,” Davis said of responding officers. “They saved multiple lives.”
She also credited bystanders who directed officers toward the suspect and helped injured victims before emergency crews arrived.
The department said it has counselors available through its victim services program to assist those affected by the attack.
Chilling recordings released
During the briefing, APD played excerpts from 911 calls and police radio traffic, capturing the panic as the shooting unfolded.
In one call, a person can be heard warning others not to move toward the area because “there’s been multiple people” shot.
Another caller told dispatchers they were hiding behind cars after hearing gunfire and described multiple bursts of shots.
Police also released surveillance video and police bodycam clips showing the moments officers encountered the suspect. In the footage, officers can be heard urgently trying to locate the gunman, asking bystanders where he was and rushing towards him.
Footage also showed officers approaching the suspect, who dropped his weapon and laid motionless on the sidewalk after being shot.
Davis said some video, including footage of the suspect firing into the crowd, was too graphic to release publicly.
“We are not sharing this for shock value,” Davis said. “This is about being as transparent as we can. We reviewed video that was [inappropriate] to release, but it is important to understand the events that led up to this officer-involved shooting.”
Victims identified
Three people ultimately died as a result of the shooting.
Police identified the victims as:
- Savitha Shan, 21
- Ryder Harrington, 19
- Jorge Pederson, 30
Shan and Harrington died at the scene.
Pederson, who had moved to Austin just two weeks earlier, died Monday at a hospital, Chief Davis confirmed.
Two additional victims remain hospitalized, including one who is in critical condition, police said.
Investigation continues
The investigation remains ongoing, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Police have executed two search warrants and are reviewing digital evidence. As speculation regarding motives has circulated online, authorities have not yet confirmed a possible connection to terrorism.
“We are working with FBI partners,” Davis said. “We are not ready to discuss any nexus, but calling in the FBI early was the right decision due to the scene’s gravity.”
Authorities are asking anyone with video or audio evidence from the area to submit it to investigators.