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A heavy security presence remains in downtown Austin after a chaotic shooting spree early Sunday morning left two victims dead and 14 others injured.<\/p>\n
According to the New York Post<\/a>, the shooter has been identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a Senegalese immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen. Diagne \u201cwas naturalized in 2013 and later applied for asylum in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox News obtained a photo of the suspect armed and wearing a hoodie emblazoned with the phrase \u201cProperty of Allah.\u201d A Quran was also reportedly found in his vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cI am told he was also wearing an undershirt that had an Iranian flag on it,\u201d Fox News\u2019 Bill Melugin wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n BREAKING: @FoxNews<\/a> has obtained a photo of the Austin, TX mass shooter, armed & wearing a sweater that says \u201cProperty of Allah\u201d. He has not been identified by authorities, but multiple federal law enforcement sources tell FOX he is a 53-year-old naturalized US citizen who was\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/YjyT8sIuBr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The violence erupted just before 2 a.m. near Buford\u2019s bar on West Sixth Street, according to KVUE<\/a>. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis reported that the suspect, driving a large SUV, circled the block several times before stopping and activating his hazard lights. From the vehicle, he opened fire with a handgun. He then parked near Wood Street and continued his assault on foot, moving east on Sixth Street while switching between a pistol and a rifle.<\/p>\n Officers stationed nearby for the weekend entertainment rush engaged the suspect almost immediately, fatally shooting him. While the suspect fired multiple rounds toward the bar, Chief Davis confirmed he never gained entry to the building.<\/p>\n The rapid response of emergency services likely prevented further loss of life.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have paramedics embedded in the entertainment district,\u201d said ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz, noting that life-saving treatment began just 57 seconds after the initial 911 call. Mayor Kirk Watson praised the coordination, stating there was \u201cno question\u201d the speed of the response saved lives. Of the 14 wounded, three remain in critical condition.<\/p>\n The investigation has now taken on a federal dimension as the FBI\u2019s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) joined the probe. FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran confirmed that \u201cindicators\u201d found inside the suspect\u2019s SUV suggested a\u00a0\u201cpotential nexus to terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n In law enforcement circles, this specific phrasing acts as a legal \u201cbridge.\u201d By citing a \u201cnexus,\u201d the FBI acknowledges a possible link between the shooting and a broader extremist ideology or organization\u2014whether through digital footprints, recovered materials, or direct communications. However, by labeling it \u201cpotential,\u201d officials are exercising extreme caution. Under federal law, a \u201cterrorist\u201d label requires proof of specific intent to intimidate a civilian population or influence government policy. Until that motive is definitively proven in the lab and through interviews, the agency maintains a neutral stance to protect the integrity of the investigation.<\/p>\n While authorities later cleared some items in the vehicle as non-threatening, the JTTF remains the lead investigative body. This shift allows the FBI to utilize specialized tools, such as National Security Letters, to trace the suspect\u2019s background and determine if the Austin community was the target of a premeditated ideological attack.<\/p>\n BREAKING: An FBI official confirmed in a news conference that the shooter in Austin\u2019s mass shooting had materials that \u201cwere indications of a potential nexus to terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n
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