Around 2 A.M. on Sunday morning, three people died, and fourteen were hospitalized in a shooting on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. The shooter, among the three dead, was killed on the scene by law enforcement and later identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a Senegalese American citizen living in Pflugerville.
Diagne reportedly had a Quran in his car and was wearing a t-shirt hoodie that read “Property of Allah” when he opened fire.
Reports indicate that Ndiaga Diagne entered the U.S. on March 13, 2000, on a B-2 tourist visa and became a permanent resident (IR-6) in June 2006 after marrying a U.S. citizen. He was naturalized in 2013, and in 2022, he was arrested in Texas for a vehicle collision.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the mass shooting, noting “indicators of terrorism” on the suspect and in his car.
The shooting occurred outside of Buford’s, a popular bar streaming games, on the intersection of Sixth and Rio Grande, just a mile south of the UT campus. Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis said an SUV circled the bar multiple times prior to the shooter firing a handgun out of the window while driving by. The car was then parked on Wood Street before he emerged on foot, shooting into the crowd. At that time, police responded, and he was killed on the scene.
Governor Greg Abbott released a statement this morning mourning the lives lost and updating the public on the actions to be taken by the Texas DPS, Texas National Guard, and Texas Military Department, including increased weekend patrols in the Sixth Street district and intensified surveillance.
UT President Jim Davis also released a statement with resources for impacted students.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred early this morning in downtown Austin. Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family, and my heart goes out to their families, friends, classmates, professors, and loved ones.
I want to express my gratitude to the first responders and medical teams whose actions helped protect and save lives. I also want to thank the dedicated counselors and staff members in our Dean of Students Office who have been communicating with families and students, visiting those injured in hospitals, and providing care and support throughout the day,” President Davis said.
In a statement to the Texas Horn, the UT Chatper of the Young Conservatives of Texas stated the following:
“The attack in Austin should not come as a surprise. Until the right finally says ‘no’ to unlimited immigration – legal or illegal – and finds the courage to denaturalize and deport every foreigner who hates America, we will continue to see dysfunction and violence in our nation.”
