Two people were killed, and 14 others were injured after a man opened fire on patrons outside an Austin bar early Sunday.
The man was identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a Senegalese national and naturalized U.S. citizen living in Pflugerville, Texas, according to law enforcement. A source familiar confirmed to FWRD AXIS News that Diagne had a history of mental illness.
He wore a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah” and a shirt underneath with an Iranian-flag theme, sources said. The FBI is now investigating a possible link to terrorism.
“There were indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Doran, a special agent with the San Antonio FBI field office, said. “Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that.”
President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting on Sunday.
Local law enforcement is looking into whether the suspect circled the bar several times in an SUV before the shooting, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference.
“At one point, he put his flashers on, pulled down his window and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio, and out in front of the bar,” Davis said.
The suspect then parked the car and walked out with a rifle, shooting some people who were walking by, Davis said.
Diagne first entered the U.S. on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa, a Homeland Security official confirmed. He became a lawful permanent resident in 2006 based on marriage to a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen in 2013.
Three people were killed in the shooting. Authorities later clarified that this included the suspected gunman.
Another 14 were transported to hospitals, three of whom are in critical condition.
