AUSTIN, Texas — Federal investigators revealed Monday that the shooter who attacked patrons outside a busy Texas bar, leaving three dead and more than a dozen injured, had never been flagged by law enforcement agencies prior to the deadly incident.
Both FBI officials and Austin police emphasized it remains too early to determine what drove the mass shooting that occurred in the early morning hours Sunday. The federal bureau is examining the case as a possible terrorist act, particularly given the timing following recent U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.
“Our ultimate goal in everything we do is to determine the motive,” Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said during a news conference.
Authorities identified the deceased shooter as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who was fatally shot by responding officers. According to a law enforcement source speaking to The Associated Press, Diagne wore clothing decorated with Iranian flag imagery and text reading “Property of Allah” during the assault.
The investigation involves reviewing thousands of hours of surveillance footage, with police reporting more than 150 witnesses requiring interviews.
“We are still in the early hours of this investigation,” said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
Chief Davis confirmed that Diagne had legally purchased the firearms used in the attack several years earlier in San Antonio. She indicated that additional details about the suspect and police body camera recordings might be made public later this week.
The three victims were identified as 21-year-old Savitha Shan, 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson.
Harrington had recently joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Texas Tech University in 2024, according to the organization’s Instagram statement.
“Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable,” the fraternity said. “If anyone embodied what it meant to live fully and love deeply, it was Ryder.”
Texas Tech confirmed in their statement that Harrington was registered for the fall 2025 semester but wasn’t currently enrolled in classes.
“Our thoughts are with Ryder’s family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating situation,” the statement said.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Shan was pursuing dual degrees in management information systems and economics at the University of Texas at Austin.
University President Jim Davis called her death “devastating” and noted that several other students sustained injuries in the attack.
“Some of these are very serious and we are hoping for the best outcomes, while others are on the path to recovery,” he said in a statement. “I have met with many of these families and will continue to pray for them.”
Austin Police announced Monday evening that Pederson had died from his injuries.
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on public discussion, revealed that the shooter originally hailed from Senegal.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Diagne initially arrived in the United States in 2000 using a B-2 tourist visa and gained lawful permanent residency six years later following his marriage to an American citizen.
Associated Press reporters were unsuccessful Monday in contacting Diagne’s family members in the Austin region or his former spouse, who was recently listed as residing near San Antonio. Someone at a residence associated with his ex-wife refused to provide comments and directed reporters to speak with investigators.
The violence erupted outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sixth Street, a popular entertainment district packed with bars and music venues near the University of Texas at Austin campus.
Police described how the gunman initially drove past the student-filled establishment before turning around and opening fire from his SUV at people on the sidewalk and inside the venue.
Witnesses inside the bar and across the street near a food truck either dropped to the ground for protection or stood frozen, struggling to comprehend the unfolding situation.
After a brief pause in the shooting, the suspect parked his vehicle, exited with a rifle, and continued firing at bystanders before officers arrived at the scene and fatally shot him, according to the police chief.
Within hours of the incident, FBI officials stated they had discovered “indicators” on the gunman and in his vehicle that prompted them to investigate potential terrorism connections.
