At least three people — including the suspected gunman — are dead following a shooting early Sunday in downtown Austin, officials said. Fourteen others were injured.
The suspected shooter has been identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, Austin police said Sunday night.
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Diagne, who was originally from Senegal, entered the U.S. in 2000 on a tourist visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He then became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 through a marriage to a U.S. citizen before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2013.
The motive of the suspected gunman is still unclear. But Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of FBI San Antonio, said Sunday morning that there were “indicators” of a “potential nexus to terrorism.” He added that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as its other specialty teams are involved in the investigation.
“In terms of specifically what type of terrorism, we’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism,” Doran said during a news conference.
During the shooting, Diagne wore a sweatshirt with “Property of Allah” written across the front and a shirt with an Iranian flag design, according to The Associated Press.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has also been directed to ramp up patrols and add law enforcement personnel in the area during weekends, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news release. He also referenced in the statement the escalating strikes in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli bombings in Iran over the weekend, though law enforcement has not explicitly said that was a motive in the Austin shooting. A day earlier, the governor said he has directed DPS and the Texas National Guard to increase surveillance and patrols at critical sites — such as energy facilities, ports, and southern border — in a statement on the US strikes against Iran.
“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,” the governor said on Sunday.
There is so far no public indication that the suspected gunman wanted to target key infrastructure. Abbott’s office clarified that the effort to protect critical infrastructure is proactive work.
The first call about the shooting at Buford’s, a popular beer garden, came in just before 2 a.m.
A large SUV drove around the block several times prior to the shooting, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. She said the suspected gunman then rolled down his windows and began shooting out of his car with a pistol, striking patrons at the bar. He then switched to a rifle after parking and exiting his vehicle and continued shooting, according to Davis.
Paramedics and police officers responded to the call within a minute, coming over from East Sixth Street which hosts the city’s busiest entertainment district.
At the scene, police fatally shot the suspected gunman, Davis said.
Officials said the gunman killed two people, whose names have not been released as of Sunday evening. Fourteen people were transported to the hospital, according to Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz. Among them, three were in critical condition.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the shooting has “brought significant trauma” to the city. He also praised the rapid response by police and rescuers.
“There is no question in my mind that the quick response of the police officers and of our EMS personnel and most professionals made a difference and saved lives,” he said.
Politicians at all levels have similarly expressed appreciation for the first responders and called for prayers for the victims.
“We stand with the victims. We stand with their families. And we stand firmly for law, order, and the safety of every Texan,” Dustin Burrows, the Republican Speaker of the Texas House, said in a post on X.
‘No one should ever have to see that’
Although officials have not released the names of the victims, Jim Davis, president of the University of Texas at Austin, said the campus community is feeling the impact of the shooting.
“Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family, and my heart goes out to their families, friends, classmates, professors, and loved ones,” Davis said in a statement.
“I want to express my gratitude to the first responders and medical teams whose actions helped protect and save lives. I also want to thank the dedicated counselors and staff members in our Dean of Students Office who have been communicating with families and students, visiting those injured in hospitals, and providing care and support throughout the day.”
Kelson Lee, 25, was about a block away from Buford’s on West Sixth Street when he said he heard around six gunshots. He walked inside to look for a friend.
“I see about seven to eight bodies on the floor,” Lee told the Austin Current. “No one should ever have to see that… Makes me really sad. Those are people who are brothers and sisters, who have mothers and fathers.”
Lee said first responders arrived shortly after he did. Videos he shared show medics, police officers and bystanders rushing to help victims, some administering CPR.
“I kind of blacked out, froze up. I felt kind of helpless because I wanted to help people,” Lee said. “Something compelled me to start recording… people need to see the actual impact of this.”
Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri, who represents Austin’s downtown, told the Current he is still in disbelief over the news.
“There are still folks identifying victims and looking for loved ones,” he said. “It’s just a gut-punch…for myself and so many others.”
Political reactions to the shooting
While casting Sunday’s shooting as senseless violence, politicians took partisan stances on what policies need to change as a result of the shooting.
In a joint statement, the Texas House Democrats representing the Austin area said gun violence “continues to steal the lives of far too many Texans.” Democrats representing Austin in Congress have similarly denounced the issue, with U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett calling the loss of life preventable.
“We must end America’s gun violence epidemic,” U.S. Rep. Greg Casar posted on X. “Americans should be able to have fun at a bar without it turning into an unspeakable nightmare like this one— and I will redouble my efforts in Congress to prevent the next tragedy like this.”
Local and federal officials have not said how the suspected shooter obtained the firearms.
Republicans have instead focused their responses on Islamic extremism and immigration, amid a rise in both anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
“Muslim immigrant violence – naturalized or not – is preventable,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, the Austin Republican running for the state’s attorney general role, said in a post on X. His competitors in the primary, including Aaron Reitz and Mayes Middleton, have issued similar messages on social media.
Abbott also cast doubt on the country’s immigration and naturalization processes.
“Allowing unvetted immigrants who are hostile to America, who are loyal to our adversaries like Iran, must end. This was an act of terror, James,” the governor said in a post on X in response to a comment made by state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. “The way to end it is to end the current open immigration policies. You and your immigration policies would make America less safe.”
The naturalization process has long required a criminal background check.
When asked about Diagne’s criminal history, DHS said he was arrested in Texas in 2022 — several years after he became a citizen — for collision with vehicle damage.
Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate, retorted in a subsequent post: “Dangerous people should not be allowed into the country. Dangerous people should not be allowed to get guns. Texans understand this — you apparently don’t.”
In a statement, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attack while saying that it rejects any efforts to blame the whole community based on one individual’s action. Texas Republican leaders have also recently sued CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group, and called it a terrorist organization. That designation prompted a lawsuit from CAIR.
“While a single person carried out this heinous attack last night, hundreds of thousands of Texas Muslims finished their night prayers and headed to their homes while calling on God for global peace and justice,” the statement said.