A mass shooting in downtown Austin in the early hours of Sunday morning left two people dead and over 10 people wounded, authorities said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have joined the probe.
First at the scene was the Austin Police, responding to reports of gunfire at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street before 2 a.m. Sunday. At a Monday morning conference, Chief Lisa Davis of Austin Police said that prior to firing his handgun, the suspect, who was among the casualties and concurrently identified as Ndiaga Diagne, reportedly drove around the block multiple times before pulling over and turning on his SUV's hazard lights.
Shooting and Investigation Details
Authorities said the suspect parked his vehicle near Wood Street, stepped out of the vehicle, then kept shooting, initially with a pistol before switching to a rifle as he headed east on Sixth Street. Nearby officers engaged him and shot the suspect dead.
Austin Police Chief Davis said, 'He put his flashers on, rolled down his window and began using a pistol, shooting out his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and were in front of the bar.'
Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio told reporters, 'There were indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism.' Doran noted that it was too soon to draw any conclusions. 'Again, it's still too early to make a determination on that.' The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is now involved in the investigation of the mass shooting, per The New York Post.
A US citizen from Senegal, Ndiaga Diagne, was dressed in Islamic garb when the shooting happened. He was reportedly in possession of a Quran, which was found in his car. According to sources who spoke with The New York Times, the attack may have been influenced by the US strikes against Iran.
How many Americans have to get Allahu Akbar’ed before we realize Islam is a problem?
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) March 2, 2026
Ndiaga has a record of prior arrests in New York City, where he likely lived for several years and recorded four arrests from 2001 through 2016, and in Texas. Most of the arrest records are kept confidential.
Of the fourteen victims of the mass shooting rushed to the hospital, three were declared in critical condition, according to authorities. At the moment, the identities of the victims have not been determined. According to St. David's HealthCare, four of the 14 wounded victims have been discharged from local hospitals.
Evidence and Law Enforcement Response
Chief Davis confirmed that the pistol and rifle used by the suspect have been recovered, while evidence from his vehicle and businesses within the vicinity remain under examination, as reported by ABC News (KVUE).
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed his gratitude to the officers who saved lives and offered his sympathies for the victims, stating, 'Our hearts go out to the people that are victims of this and I want to reiterate my thanks to our public safety officers and officials that so rapidly were on the scene, they definitely saved lives.'
Mayor Watson also emphasised that the police and EMS personnel definitely helped save lives amid the incident. He said, 'There is no question in my mind that the quick response of the police officers and of our EMS personnel and those professionals made a difference and saved lives.'
PHOTO RELEASED: The suspected gunman of the Austin mass shooting was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) March 2, 2026
He is shown wearing clothes declaring “Property of Allah”https://t.co/kRkY9nPZeP pic.twitter.com/w3pAZkx0yH
Chief Robert Luckritz with ATCEMS said the victims received treatment within 57 seconds– the time it took for paramedics to respond. He said, 'We had medical care on site treating patients within 57 seconds as part of a program between Austin Travis County EMS and the Austin Police Department where we have paramedics embedded with the teams during the peak of entertainment hour.'
He also noted that over 20 EMS resources were present at the scene, and within 24 minutes, all critical patients had been taken to hospital.
University of Texas at Austin also took to social media to address the tragedy, saying, 'Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family.'
