FBI Probes Whether Austin Mass Shooting Tied to Iran Conflict

(Myles Miller/Bloomberg) — Federal authorities are investigating whether a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday was a reaction to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, people familiar with the investigation said.

Three people were killed and 14 others wounded shortly before 2 a.m. when a gunman opened fire in the city’s downtown entertainment district. Police officers shot and killed the suspect after confronting him near the scene, officials said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the attack began at 1:58 a.m. when a large sport-utility vehicle circled the block several times near Buford’s bar. The driver rolled down his window and fired a pistol at patrons gathered outside on the patio and sidewalk.

The suspect then drove west, parked, exited the vehicle with a rifle and continued shooting at people walking nearby, Davis said. Officers, already staged in the area as part of routine weekend staffing, responded within roughly 55 seconds and encountered him at an intersection, where they shot him.

The people familiar with the investigation said a Quran was recovered from the vehicle and that he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt bearing the words “Property of Allah.”

Seventeen people were treated, according to Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luceritz. Three were pronounced dead at the scene and 14 were transported to hospitals, including three in critical condition. Medics began treating patients within 57 seconds of the first call, he said.

Alex Dorne, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said investigators found “indicators on the subject and in his vehicle” pointing to a “potential nexus to terrorism.” He said it was too early to determine motive. The Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved.

The people identified the suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, 52. Born in Senegal, he had been in the US since 2000, previously lived in New York and was a naturalized US citizen, the people said. He also had a documented history of mental illness, they said.

Authorities briefly called in explosive ordnance personnel after identifying items inside the vehicle that raised concern, but officials said no explosive devices were found.

Investigators are reviewing evidence and background information as they work to determine whether the attack was ideologically motivated.

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