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A man who unleashed gunfire at a Texas bar, donning a shirt emblazoned with ‘Property of Allah,’ might have been driven by Islamic extremist motives linked to U.S. military actions against Iran, according to police sources.
In the early hours of Sunday, the tragic incident in Austin resulted in the deaths of two patrons and injuries to 14 others, before law enforcement officers fatally shot the attacker.
During a Sunday press briefing, FBI representatives disclosed that the shooter, whose identity remains undisclosed, possessed items suggesting a possible connection to terrorism.
Police insiders informed the New York Post that the assailant, a U.S. citizen with roots in Senegal, could have been incited by recent U.S. operations in Iran. Authorities discovered a Quran in his vehicle, and he wore traditional Islamic attire during the attack on the bar.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported that the suspect sported a shirt reading ‘Property of Allah’ and may have had a T-shirt featuring Iranian symbols or an Iranian flag beneath it.
The suspect also has a history of arrests in Texas, and is believed to have lived in New York City from 2000 to 2008, the sources said.
The horror unfolded at Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Entertainment District just before 2am on Sunday, officials said.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman never entered the bar, but fired at patrons from the street with a handgun and a rifle.
A total of 17 people were shot in the spree – 14 were injured and taken to hospital, while three were pronounced dead at the scene. Three of those hospitalized remain in critical condition.
The potential terror link comes as the shooting took place just hours after the US led strikes against Iran, which officials warned heightened the threat that a terror cell could retaliate.
Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the strikes on Saturday, Iranian officials vowed to seek revenge against the US.
At least three people have been killed and 14 more wounded in a mass shooting in Austin, Texas on Sunday morning
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street. It is unclear if the deceased person was the shooter or a victim
Davis described the shooting as a ‘tragic, tragic incident’, and praised the bravery of responding officers who were ‘faced with an individual with a gun.’
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also said he was ‘very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this… I don’t think there’s any question that it saved lives.’
Footage shared to social media showed a heavy police presence at the scene, as a shirtless individual lay dead in the street.
Separate footage showed party-goers crouching in fear inside the bar as police arrived on the scene, before several more gunshots rang out – indicating the gunman opened fire again as law enforcement arrived before they were shot dead.
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain.
The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released.
Videos posted online show Buford’s bar was packed moments before the shooting, as a large crowd of partiers were on the bar’s dancefloor when the gunman opened fire.
Officials said at a press conference that police and paramedics were stationed near to the Buford’s bar as routine for a weekend in Austin’s entertainment district.
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain
FBI agents seen arriving at the scene on Sunday
FBI officials said at a press conference Sunday that the suspect in the shooting, who was killed by police and has not been identified, had materials that ‘were indications of a potential nexus to terrorism
Paramedics arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.
Authorities have not offered any indication as to the gunman’s motive or what led up to the shooting.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as information is confirmed.