A gunman wearing clothes depicting the Iranian flag fatally shot two people and wounded 14 more in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday, law enforcement sources said.
The shooter’s clothes had an Iranian flag design and read “Property of Allah,” according to officers who spoke with the Associated Press. He was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne.
Responding police officers shot and killed Diagne at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the gunman’s identity or released information about his motive in the attack. FBI agents said the shooting was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism but did not provide additional details.
The shooting came hours after the U.S. military attacked Iran with numerous airstrikes, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had held power since 1989.
“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,” Alex Doran, acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said at a news conference.
“Indicators” on the suspect and in his vehicle suggested the possible terrorist motive, Doran said.
The victims have not been publicly identified. Three of the survivors were in critical condition at local hospitals in the immediate aftermath, officials said.
AP Photo/Jack Myer
The Austin Police Department and the FBI investigate a shooting at Buford’s on 6th Street on Sunday in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Jack Myer)
The attacker drove past Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sixth St., a popular nightlife area in Austin’s capital city, several times early Sunday, according to police. On one of his final passes, he opened fire from the vehicle with a pistol just before 2 a.m.
He then parked the vehicle, stepped out with a rifle and started shooting at people walking in the area and in front of the bar, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. Officers then came to the scene and fatally shot the suspect.
“I’m very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “I don’t think there’s any question that it saved lives.”
Diagne lived in Texas and had been a U.S. citizen since 2013, law enforcement sources told The Associated Press. He was born in Senegal; a large police presence was seen at a residence in the north Austin suburb of Plugerville.
The shooting occurred just a few miles from the University of Texas campus, and the school’s president said members of the university community were among those affected.
“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,” school President Jim Davis said. “I want to express my gratitude to the first responders and medical teams whose actions helped protect and save lives.”
The Austin shooting occurred the same night as another mass shooting in Cincinnati, in which nine people were wounded at a music venue, according to authorities.
With News Wire Services
