Austin authorities have released graphic evidence of a mass shooting that killed three victims, including two university students, as federal investigators probe whether the gunman’s apparent pro-Iranian interests signify an act of terrorism.
Austin police on Thursday released harrowing body camera footage and 911 recordings from a March 1 mass shooting outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden that killed three people and injured 16 others. The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, was fatally shot by officers within 57 seconds of the initial emergency calls, which captured frantic pleas such as, “There’s people shot. We need help right now.”
While a definitive motive has not been confirmed, the FBI is investigating a “nexus to terrorism” after investigators discovered an Iranian flag at the suspect’s home and noted he wore a hoodie reading “Property of Allah” over a shirt designed like the Iranian flag during the attack. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described the scene as “chaotic” and “overwhelming for many,” noting that the shooting occurred the same weekend the U.S. launched strikes against Iran, though she cautioned that authorities are still examining “digital evidence” before confirming a specific link to international retaliation.