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A gunman wearing a sweatshirt reading “Property of Allah” and another shirt featuring an Iranian flag design killed two people and wounded 14 others at a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating whether the attack was an act of terrorism.
Police identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. Officers shot and killed him within minutes of the first emergency call.
The attack took place just before 2 a.m. at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district. Authorities said Diagne first fired a handgun from his vehicle toward people gathered outside the bar. He then exited the vehicle with a rifle and continued shooting.
Three victims remain in critical condition.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the suspect wore clothing displaying the words “Property of Allah” and an Iranian flag design. Investigators are reviewing those details as part of the federal probe.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said authorities were examining the case as a potential act of terrorism due to “indicators” linked to the suspect and items found in his vehicle.
Law enforcement sources told AP that Diagne was originally from Senegal. He entered the United States in 2006 and later became a naturalized citizen.
The attack occurred one day after Israel and the United States carried out military strikes on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Officials have not announced a confirmed connection between the U.S.-Israeli operation and the Austin shooting. However, investigators were examining the broader context.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the swift police response, stating that officers and emergency personnel “definitely saved lives.”
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