By Jack Myer, Alanna Durkin Richer, John Seewer and Kathleen Ronayne
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas — A gunman sporting garments with an Iranian flag design and the phrases “Property of Allah” killed two individuals and wounded 14 early Sunday at a Texas bar, a regulation enforcement official advised The Associated Press. The FBI is investigating the taking pictures, which erupted a day after the U.S. and Israel launched an assault on Iran, as a possible act of terrorism.
Police in Austin shot and killed the gunman, who used each a pistol and a rifle to hold out the assault, police mentioned.
The taking pictures occurred outdoors Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden simply earlier than 2 a.m. alongside Sixth Street, a nightlife vacation spot full of bars and music golf equipment and just a few miles (kilometers) from the University of Texas at Austin.
Nathan Comeaux, a 22-year-old senior, had spent the night there with associates and mentioned the bar was “full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights.”
The suspect drove previous the bar a number of occasions earlier than stopping and taking pictures from the window of his SUV at individuals on a patio and in entrance of the bar, based on Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
He then parked, acquired out with a rifle and started taking pictures at individuals strolling alongside the road earlier than officers rushed to the intersection and shot him, Davis mentioned. Three of the injured had been in essential situation Sunday morning, she mentioned.
The gunman was recognized as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, the Department of Homeland Security mentioned in a press release.
FBI says assault could also be terrorism
Authorities haven’t offered a transparent motive for the assaults however discovered “indicators” on the gunman and in his car main them to look into the opportunity of terrorism, mentioned Alex Doran, the appearing agent in command of the FBI’s San Antonio workplace.
“It’s still too early to make a determination on that,” Doran mentioned Sunday morning.
Diagne first entered the united statesin 2000 on a B-2 vacationer visa and have become a lawful everlasting resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, based on DHS. He grew to become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013, the division mentioned. Diagne was initially from Senegal, based on a number of individuals briefed on the investigation who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to publicly talk about the investigation.
The White House mentioned President Donald Trump had been briefed on the taking pictures.
Texas officers weigh in
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that the state would reply aggressively to anybody attempting to “use the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texas.”
University of Texas at Austin President Jim Davis mentioned on social media that a few of these affected included “members of our Longhorn family.”
“Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted,” mentioned college President Jim Davis.
The leisure district has a heavy police presence on weekends, and officers had been in a position to confront the gunman inside a minute of the primary name for assist, Davis mentioned.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the quick response by police and rescuers.
“They definitely saved lives,” he mentioned.
The scene the next night was quiet within the sometimes bustling leisure district amid downtown Austin’s hills and classic houses, together with that of the governor, whose residence is simply blocks away.
Police had taped off a number of sq. blocks round Sixth Street, whereas native police and federal brokers, together with ATF brokers had been on the website, based on Austin police serving as sentries.
Unmarked regulation enforcement autos had been coming and going, as had been firetrucks. Bystanders and news reporters and digicam crews stood on the corners outdoors the yellow tape, attempting to catch a glimpse of the exercise.
There have been not less than two different high-profile shootings in Austin’s Sixth Street leisure district inside the previous 5 years, together with one in the summertime of 2021 that left 14 individuals wounded.
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