A mass shooting outside a popular bar on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, left three dead and at least 14 others injured on March 1 before police fatally shot the gunman, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. Federal and local authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of terrorism, citing indicators on the suspect and in his car, although officials say it is too early to determine a definitive motive, the AP reported.
Read also | Three killed and 14 injured in a mass shooting at a Texas bar
Among those killed are a 21-year-old Indian student, identified as Savitha Shan, and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington. The third victim was identified as Jorge Pederson.
Read also | Who was Savitha Shan? Indian student identified as Texas shooting victim
CNN reported that while investigators have not released much information, they are looking into whether the mass shooting in Austin was inspired by the February 28 strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel.
Here’s everything you need to know about Ndiaga Diagne
The suspect, Diagne, was wearing a sweatshirt that read “Property of Allah,” CNN reported. Police said Diagne was wearing a T-shirt stamped with the Iranian flag, the report added, citing a source.
Diagne, a Senegalese immigrant who became a US citizen, had never been on the radar of local police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before the attack, officials said Monday (local time). But his personal life, criminal history and private affiliations are now under scrutiny as investigators try to find a motive for the attack.
Trying to live in the US, Diagne initially settled in New York and later moved to Texas. He entered the U.S. in March 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. Visas like the B-2 are nonimmigrant visas that are granted to visitors who are traveling to the U.S. temporarily, such as on vacation or to visit family.
A DHS official said Diagne later married a U.S. citizen, which allowed him to adjust his status to lawful permanent resident in 2006, and became a naturalized citizen in April 2013. While it remains unclear when Diagne moved to Texas, public records show he was still living in the Bronx, New York, as of late 2010. He has had multiple addresses since moving to the state, a law enforcement official told CNN.
The Terrorism Angle in the Austin Mass Shooting
While Diagne’s motive remains unclear, the report indicates that items discovered during the investigation have led officials to consider whether the mass shooting was an act of domestic terrorism or was motivated by the recent conflict between the US and Iran.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio division, said, “Obviously, it’s too early to determine an exact motive, but there were indicators on that subject and then his vehicle that suggest a potential connection to terrorism.”
Investigating authorities are now looking for computers or cellphones to see if Diagne read any propaganda or left any notes mentioning his plans. They will also look into whether Diagne had any mental health issues while living in Texas.
Diagne’s previous run-ins with the law
Although not on the police radar, Diagne has had several previous run-ins with police and courts in both Texas and New York. Both guns Diagne owned were legally obtained from San Antonio in 2017, the police chief said.
In 2017, Diagne was sued in New York by a woman who claimed he hit her with a car while she was walking, claiming she suffered “serious injuries”.
According to DHS, a 53-year-old man was arrested in Texas in 2022 on a charge of hit-and-run with damage to a vehicle, a misdemeanor.
