Additional Coverage:
Austin, TX – Federal and local authorities are intensely investigating a possible terrorism link in a mass shooting that rocked downtown Austin over the weekend, leaving two dead and over a dozen injured. The suspect was fatally shot by police at the scene.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis identified the two victims killed as Savitha Shan, 24, a student at the University of Texas, and Ryder Harrington, 22, a student at Texas Tech University. During a Monday news conference, Chief Davis reported that three of the fourteen injured victims remain in critical condition, with one scheduled to be removed from life support.
The suspect, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal and residing in Pflugerville, was the subject of an FBI terrorism motive investigation launched Sunday. Sources close to the investigation revealed Diagne was wearing a sweatshirt referencing Allah and a T-shirt depicting the Iranian flag, and an image of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This comes on the heels of a major U.S.-Israel military operation in Iran that reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khomeini.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, stated, “Our ultimate goal in everything we do is determine a motive. We’re looking for connections that he [the suspect] possibly had.” While acknowledging “indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Doran emphasized that it is still “premature to make a determination on motive” as investigators sort through “thousands of hours of video,” and “massive amounts of digital and physical evidence.”
Chief Davis detailed the horrific events that unfolded just before 2 a.m. Sunday on West Sixth Street.
Diagne reportedly drove a large SUV multiple times around the block where Buford’s Bar is located, firing at patrons from his vehicle. He then parked, exited, and continued to fire at people on the sidewalk before being confronted and killed by police officers already deployed in the entertainment district.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson credited the swift response of police and emergency medical services with saving “multiple lives.”
Tributes are pouring in for the victims. Ryder Harrington’s fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, released a statement describing him as a “beloved son, brother, and friend whose kindness and presence touched countless lives.”
University of Texas President Jim Davis expressed profound grief over the loss of Savitha Shan, calling her “a child of loving parents. A loyal friend to many.
A Longhorn preparing to change the world.” President Davis also noted that several other UT students were injured, some seriously, and offered the university’s full support to all affected families.
The investigation is ongoing, with Chief Davis confirming that approximately 150 witnesses are being interviewed and that details regarding the suspect’s criminal history and the legally purchased firearm used in the attack will be released later this week.