The suspected gunman who opened fire outside a crowded downtown Austin, Texas, bar early Sunday was wearing a pullover reading “Property of Allah” and another shirt depicting the Iranian flag during the attack, according to law enforcement officials.
The shooter was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal. Three people, including the suspect, were pronounced dead, while 14 victims were transported to area hospitals.
Police said the shooting unfolded shortly before 2 a.m. in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district, a popular nightlife area packed with crowds near the University of Texas.
TRUMP AND MAMDANI’S UNLIKELY POLITICAL ALLIANCE: ‘A NEW YORK CITY SOAP OPERA’
Officers already assigned to the district responded within minutes and fatally shot the suspect, who wielded a pistol and rifle to carry out the attack. The FBI’s terrorism task force joined the operation soon after.
According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, Diagne drove past the area several times before stopping and shooting out of his car window. Diagne then exited the vehicle with his rifle and began firing.
Authorities said three were killed, including the gunman, and more than a dozen others were injured when the gunman fired into crowds gathered outside the bar. Several of the wounded remain hospitalized.
Officials have not yet released the identities of those killed or injured, and investigators said a motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said the agency is investigating whether the shooting early Sunday was an act of terrorism because of “indicators” found on the gunman and in his vehicle.
The attack happened hours after the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, killing its supreme leader and top officials.
TRUMP AGREES TO TALK WITH IRAN’S NEW LEADERSHIP AS REGIONAL WAR WIDENS
Emergency medical crews treated 17 people at the scene after the shooting unfolded as bars were closing for the night.
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said first responders arrived within a minute of receiving the emergency call, allowing medics and officers to begin treating victims almost immediately.
