A Senegalese-born man who shot and killed two innocent people and wounded 14 at a bar in Austin, Texas on Sunday may have been an Islamist terrorist motivated by the U.S. airstrikes on Iran, according to multiple reports.
Ndiaga Diagne, 53, was identified as the shooter by Austin police, according to CBS News. He is a naturalized citizen who was born in the West African nation.
According to CBS, the alleged shooter “arrived in the U.S. in 2000 on a tourist visa, got a green card in 2006 and was naturalized in 2013. The suspect spent time in New York before going to Texas.”
The act has a “potential nexus to terrorism,” FBI Acting Special Agent Alex Doran said on Sunday.
The shooting occurred outside Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street between 1:30 and 2 a.m. local time on Sunday morning. Police say that Diagne circled the area in an SUV before opening fire on patrons outside the bar.
“We received a call at 1:39 a.m., and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” said Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz.
Diagne was fatally shot by officers after arrived on scene.
Early evidence pointed to Islamist motives in the attack.
Pictures of a man identified as Diagne, for instance, showed him wearing a shirt that said “Property of Allah” during the attack.
The Austin, Texas mass shooter was wearing a sweater that says “property of Allah”, was born in Senegal, and had a Quran in his car
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According to The Hill, law enforcement officials searched a house in Pflugerville and an apartment complex in Del Valle after the attack, both of which were tied to the investigation.
In addition, the Quran was found in the gunman’s vehicle, and an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders at his home, according to sources close to the investigation. WFLD-TV also reported that the suspect wore an Iranian flag emblem.
However, officials noted that the shooter also had a history of mental health issues.
“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Dugan said.
The attack came one day after a series of strikes by the United States effectively decapitated Iranian political leadership, including killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Texas politicians also issued statements throughout the day Sunday about the attack.
“Texas mourns with the families and loved ones of those who were horrifically killed in last night’s attack in Austin. Cecilia and I pray for them, and we pray for the swift recovery of those who were injured,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.
“This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans. To anyone who thinks about using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans or our critical infrastructure, understand this clearly: Texas will respond with decisive and overwhelming force to protect our state.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, meanwhile, told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that “we don’t know for sure” if the Austin shooting was terrorist-related.
“At this point, we don’t know what the evidence will show in terms of whether this was an act of terrorism,” Cruz added.
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