In an incident that the FBI believes could be associated with terrorism, two people were killed and many others injured in a shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas. Around 2 AM on Sunday, police were dispatched to the scene outside the bar of Buford, the state capital, and a report of a male shooter resulted in the officer being dispatched. The police affirmed that there were two victims who were killed but the suspected gunman was also reported dead at the scene. Fourteen individuals ended up being taken to the closest hospitals to seek medical attention.
Austin Bar Mass Shooting: Did Iran Strikes Influence The Motive Of Alleged Gunman Ndiaga Diagne?
According to a report by the New York Post, the gunman was a US citizen of Senegalese origin. He is said to have lived in New York City in the period between 2000 and 2008 and then transferred to Texas which had a history of arrests. On searching his vehicle, the police discovered a Quran and some clothing that can be characterized as Islamic garb as per the report which referred to sources who were familiar with the investigation. There are no known victims or the shooter in the public. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis reported that the officers had acted on a report of a man who was armed and needed to be in the crowded West Sixth Street entertainment area. In her story, the suspect went on to drive up in a big SUV, turned on his hazard light, rolled down his window and opened fire on persons sitting on the patio and walked in the sidewalk outside the bar. Following the first assault, the man parked his car at a nearby place and, getting out of the car, walked towards the bar holding a rifle in his hand. Davis said that the suspect was confronted by three police officers that were heading to the area and shot him dead at an intersection. An examination of the car showed that it had no explosives.
FBI Says It May Be ‘An Act of Terrorism’
Nevertheless, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran said that agents discovered items within the vehicle and on the suspect indicating that there could have been a nexus to terrorism. He also mentioned that the investigation is still at its initial phases and that the authorities were still not ready to present more information about the results and the reason behind his actions. Three individuals are still in critical condition out of the 14 individuals in the hospital according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief Rob Luckritz. Mayor Kirk Watson has celebrated how fast the reaction of police and emergency personnel was, as officers arrived at the location within 57 seconds. Thanks, I am very glad it was so fast, Watson said. ‘They definitely saved lives.’
