Texas bar mass shooting: Suspected gunman identified in Austin

Authorities have identified the shooter who is suspected of killing two people and injuring several others at a Texas bar on Sunday (March 1).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has named the suspect involved in the mass shooting at Buford’s bar on West 6th Street in Austin as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, as reported by the Associated Press.

An official from law enforcement informed AP that the suspect, who was shot by police, was allegedly wearing a sweatshirt with the words “Property of Allah” and a shirt featuring an Iranian flag design.

Austin Police Department (APD) Chief Lisa Davis confirmed that an unnamed “male suspect” implicated in the shooting was killed by police. No more suspects have been identified.

Sources mentioned to AP that the suspect originally hailed from Senegal.

DHS stated, according to the outlet, that the suspect arrived in the U.S in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, and after marrying a US citizen, Diagne became a lawful permanent resident six years later.

In 2013, Diagne acquired US citizenship, as DHS further explained.

During a press event on March 1, the FBI shared that it is exploring the Austin shooting as a potential terrorist act.

“It's too early to determine the precise motivation, but there were clues on the suspect and in his vehicle that suggest a possible connection to terrorism,” stated Alex Dorn, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office.

Robert Luckritz, the chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, provided details regarding the victims in a press briefing.

“We were alerted at 1:59am and within under a minute, the first responders were actively attending to the injured on-site,” Luckritz stated. 

“In total, we tended to 17 individuals, and 14 were transported to the hospital.”

He continued, “We deployed over 20 EMS units to the scene. All critical patients were transported within 24 minutes, and all were off the scene in 47 minutes,” he noted.