The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it is examining “indicators” suggesting a possible terrorism link to a mass shooting early Sunday in Austin, where at least three people were killed and 14 others injured.
Read More: 1 dead, 4 injured in separate Austin shootings
Police said the male suspect was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with officers at the scene. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while 14 others were hospitalised, including three in critical condition.
🚨Update: Iranian Sleeper Cells! FBI believes the mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, that killed three and injured 14 was an “act of terrorism!” https://t.co/E6gNr2eMEn
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) March 1, 2026
Austin bar mass shooter possibly motivated by Iran attacks, Quran found in car as FBI eyes terrorism after 2 killed, 14 injured https://t.co/jmWCV7Rker pic.twitter.com/2Kj72YG9Ke
— New York Post (@nypost) March 1, 2026
A law enforcement official told Reuters the shooter wore a shirt bearing the Iranian flag and a sweatshirt reading “Property of Allah.” The suspect was identified by officials as Ndiaga Diagne, a Senegalese naturalised US citizen. Authorities have not publicly confirmed his name or announced a specific motive.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said investigators found items on the suspect and in his vehicle that point to a “potential nexus to terrorism.” The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is working alongside the Austin Police Department, with federal evidence response and digital forensic teams assisting in the probe.
The shooting occurred outside Buford’s, a popular bar along Austin’s West 6th Street entertainment district. Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect drove an SUV around the block several times before opening fire on patrons seated on the patio and others standing nearby. He later exited the vehicle and continued shooting before officers shot and killed him at a nearby intersection.
Read More: Guns and memory of mass shooting collide at Texas campus
Donald Trump was briefed on the incident, according to the White House. The attack marked the 56th mass shooting in the United States this year, and the deadliest so far, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.