FBI Probes Austin Shooting As Possible Terrorist Act
A gunman who wore clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah” killed two people and injured 14 others at an Austin, Texas bar early Sunday. The FBI is investigating the shooting, which happened just a day after the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, as a possible act of terrorism.
How the Austin Shooting Unfolded on Sixth Street
The shooting erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sixth Street, a well-known Austin nightlife corridor packed with bars, live music venues, and college-aged patrons. The Department of Homeland Security identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne.
The case is drawing attention due to the problem of gun violence in the United States, along with the United States and Israel launching an attack against Iran just a day earlier. Austin Police shot and killed the shooter, who was using both a pistol and a rifle in the attack.
22-year-old senior Nathan Comeaux, who was with friends that evening, said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press that the bar was “full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying thier nights.” According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, before the attack, the shooter had driven past the bar several times. He then started firing shots from the window of his SUV at people in front of the bar and the patio.
According to EMS Chief Robert Luckritz, three people died at the scene, two victims and the shooter, and 14 people were taken to hospitals.” Three of the 14 wounded remained in critical condition Sunday morning. Comeaux had stepped out to a nearby food truck roughly ten minutes before the shooting began. He said bystanders initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks or a loud motorcycle. He hid behind a bench before emerging to record on his phone—and witnessed the suspect turn his weapon on police before being shot.
Related Content on U.S. News
- Everything We Know About the Philanthropist, Robert Fuller Jr., Murder Case In Maryland So Far – Total Apex Herald
- Guthrie Offers $1 Million Reward as Search for Missing Arizona Mother Enters Fourth Week – Total Apex Herald
- Military Laser Strike on CBP Drone Raises New Questions at the Border – Total Apex Herald
FBI Probes Austin Attack as Possible Terrorist Act
Investigators found what they described as “indicators” on Diagne and inside his vehicle, suggesting a possible ideological motive, though authorities stopped short of drawing firm conclusions in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Comeaux also told the Associated Press, “The UT community has definitely been majorly affected by this.”
The timing of the attack raises a lot of questions considering the geopolitical conflict from the United States and Israel launching military strikes against Iran. Diagne’s clothing—bearing Iranian imagery—drew swift attention from federal investigators, though officials cautioned against premature conclusions.
Diagne was identified as a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal. He first entered the United States in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa and became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 after marrying a U.S. citizen. He was granted naturalized citizenship in 2013. The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting.
This is not the first time Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district has been the site of a mass shooting. In the summer of 2021, a separate shooting in the same area left 14 people wounded. Despite Sunday’s attack not meeting the technical FBI definition of a mass killing—which requires four or more fatalities—the incident marks the fifth mass killing recorded in the United States so far this year, according to AP tracking data.
Investigation Continues in Austin
The area is typically bustling on weekend nights, drawing a large crowd of University of Texas students and Austin residents. Its proximity to the Texas Governor’s Mansion—just a few blocks away—adds to the significance of a security breach of this nature occurring in its immediate vicinity.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Federal agents and local police continued canvassing the scene Sunday evening, with unmarked law enforcement vehicles moving in and out of the cordoned area. The Austin Police Department SWAT unit also executed a search warrant at a residence in Pflugerville, Texas, as part of the broader probe.
At this stage, no formal terrorism designation has been applied. However, the combination of Diagne’s attire, the proximity to the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, and the targeted nature of the attack has led the FBI to treat the case with the full weight of its counterterrorism resources.
