AUSTIN, Texas: At least three people were killed and 14 others injured in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas, according to police.
Authorities said the suspect was shot dead in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers at the scene. Of the 14 injured victims, three remain in critical condition at local hospitals.
Officials disclosed that the suspected gunman had a history of mental health issues. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating a possible terrorism connection.
According to an internal update from the National Counterterrorism Center reviewed by Reuters, the suspect also had documented mental health conditions. A law enforcement official told Reuters that the shooter was wearing a shirt bearing the Iranian flag and the word “IRAN” in green, white, and red lettering.
Authorities are examining whether the attack was motivated by the recent joint US-Israel strike on Iran. However, no specific motive has been officially confirmed.
The suspect was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalised US citizen originally from Senegal, according to the counterterrorism update.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said investigators found “indicators on the subject, and in his vehicle, that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is working closely with the Austin Police Department, including federal evidence response and digital forensic teams.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident.
The shooting occurred outside Buford’s, a popular bar on Austin’s West 6th Street — a bustling nightlife district known for live music venues and food trucks.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told reporters that the suspect drove an SUV repeatedly around the block before activating hazard lights, lowering his window, and opening fire with a pistol at patrons seated on the bar’s patio and in front of the venue.
The suspect then drove west, parked the vehicle, exited, and began shooting at pedestrians before officers fatally shot him at a nearby intersection. Police said officers and emergency responders were already stationed in the area due to heavy weekend crowds, enabling a rapid response that likely prevented further casualties.
The attack marks the 56th mass shooting in the United States this year, and the deadliest so far, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people, excluding the shooter, are shot or killed.
According to archive data, the United States recorded 407 mass shootings last year.
