At least two people were killed and 14 others wounded in a mass shooting overnight at Buford’s, a popular beer garden in Austin, Texas’s entertainment district. The gunman was also killed by responding police officers. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation after authorities said there are indicators suggesting a potential nexus to terrorism, though investigators cautioned it is too early to determine motivation.
Multiple US officials identified the suspect to CBS News as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized American citizen born in Senegal who arrived in the US in 2006 and was naturalized in 2013. He had spent time in New York before relocating to Texas. Investigators believe he acted alone, and sources said he had a documented history of prior mental health episodes in Austin. Authorities are looking into whether he self-radicalized and whether there is any connection to international terrorism, though they emphasized that mental health remains a significant factor under consideration.
According to sources, the gunman was driving an SUV and circling the block when he began firing from an open window at people seated at the outdoor bar. He then got out of the vehicle and continued shooting as he walked up the street before being fatally shot by officers. Multiple weapons were found in the SUV. First responders arrived on scene within 57 seconds of the initial call at 1:39 a.m. Fourteen people were hospitalized, with three in critical condition.
President Trump has been briefed on the shooting. Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated the Texas Military Department, the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to increase patrols and surveillance in Austin’s 6th Street entertainment district under what he called Operation Fury Shield. Abbott also issued a direct warning to anyone considering using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans, saying the state would respond with decisive and overwhelming force.
The JTTF investigation involves the FBI, ATF, Austin police and state police, who are searching the suspect’s background and reviewing potential internet posts. Anyone with information is asked to submit it online or call 512-974-TIPS.
