Investigators are working to determine whether the suspect in a deadly mass shooting in Austin, Texas, was motivated by Saturday’s joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case.
Authorities reported finding an Iranian flag and photographs of regime leaders in the apartment of the gunman, who opened fire outside a bar in Austin early Sunday morning. The items were discovered during a court-authorized search of the suspect’s residence.
Late on Sunday, the Austin Police Department identified the deceased suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, a U.S. citizen of Senegalese origin. Officers recovered a Quran from his vehicle and noted that Diagne was wearing a hoodie emblazoned with the phrase “Property of Allah,” with a shirt featuring an Iranian flag design underneath.
Alex Dorn, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, addressed the media during a Sunday press conference, saying
“Obviously, it is still too early in the investigation to determine an exact motive.”
However, there were indicators found on the subject and within his vehicle that suggest a potential nexus to terrorism.
The SITE Intelligence Group revealed that Diagne had expressed “pro-Iranian regime sentiment and hatred for Israeli and American leadership” in Facebook posts dating back to 2017. He had also previously posted a photograph of himself brandishing what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon.
The shooting, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, March 1st, left at least three people dead and 14 others wounded. The gunman opened fire at a popular nightspot in the Texas state capital, prompting a rapid police response. The attacker was shot and killed by officers at the scene.
The incident comes amid heightened security across several American cities following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Those strikes resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and several other high-ranking officials.
