Three people are dead, including the suspected gunman, and at least 14 others were injured after a mass shooting early Sunday on Austin’s busy entertainment corridor, authorities said. Federal investigators say there are indicators of possible terrorism connected to the attack.
The shooting unfolded around 2 a.m. near the intersection of West Sixth Street and Rio Grande Street in Austin. Police say a 53-year-old man identified as Ndiaga Diagne opened fire at Buford’s Bar, striking people gathered on the patio and along the sidewalk.
According to the Austin Police Department, the suspect drove through the area multiple times in an SUV before firing a handgun from the vehicle’s window. Investigators say he later parked on Wood Street, exited the SUV, and continued shooting at pedestrians with both a pistol and a rifle. Officers responding to the scene shot and killed the suspect.
In addition to the gunman, two other people were killed. Fourteen victims were transported to hospitals, including three listed in critical condition. Authorities have not clarified whether all of the injured suffered gunshot wounds.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken the lead in the investigation, with its Joint Terrorism Task Force assisting local and federal partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. During a Sunday briefing, federal officials said evidence found on the suspect and in his vehicle suggested a potential nexus to terrorism, though they cautioned that the motive remains under investigation. Another update from investigators is expected Monday.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Diagne entered the United States in 2000 on a tourist visa, became a lawful permanent resident in 2006, and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2013. Records show he was arrested in Texas in 2022 in connection with a vehicle collision involving property damage.
Source: NBC