AUSTIN, Texas — A gunman opened fire in downtown Austin early Monday, killing two people and wounding 14 before police shot him dead, authorities said. The FBI said investigators are exploring a potential terrorism link as an intelligence-monitoring group identified the suspect as a U.S. citizen of Senegalese origin who had posted pro-Iranian regime messages online.
FBI Special Agent Alex Doran said an exact motive was not yet known, but “there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.” He added, “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.”
- Advertisement -
The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist activity online, identified the assailant as Ndiaga Diagne and said he had expressed “pro-Iranian regime sentiment” on social media. Authorities did not immediately confirm the suspect’s identity.
The attack unfolded around 2 a.m. in Austin’s entertainment district. Police Chief Davis said the gunman first fired a pistol from his car into a crowd outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin, then parked, emerged with a rifle and began shooting at passersby.
Officers responded within minutes. They “were faced with the individual with a gun and three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect,” Davis said.
Fourteen people were wounded, three critically, officials said. The names of the victims were not immediately released, and officials cautioned that the casualty toll could change as hospitals provide updates.
The shooting comes amid heightened security in several U.S. cities following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran that killed the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and several other senior officials.
Authorities did not immediately provide details about the weapons used beyond describing a pistol and a rifle. Investigators were processing a large crime scene that spanned portions of the busy bar and restaurant corridor, and they asked witnesses and businesses with surveillance footage to contact police.
Officials also did not release information about the suspect’s background beyond the SITE assessment. The FBI said it is coordinating with Austin police and other agencies to determine any ideological or operational drivers for the attack and whether the suspect had assistance.
City leaders urged patience as the investigation proceeds and emphasized that early findings could shift. They said more information about the victims and the suspect would be released once families are notified and forensic work is completed.
Anyone with information related to the shooting is urged to contact Austin police or the FBI tip line.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
