Tragic Third Fatality Confirmed in Austin Bar Mass Shooting: Community in Mourning

AUSTIN, Texas — On Monday evening, officials confirmed the passing of a third victim following the early morning shooting on Sunday in downtown Austin.

The incident resulted in injuries to at least 13 people. Authorities identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who also lost his life during the episode.

Police in Austin were alerted to gunshots at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a popular venue in the city, shortly before 2 a.m. Central Time.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis reported that Diagne drove a large SUV repeatedly around the block before stopping, activating the vehicle’s hazard lights, and opening fire with a handgun.

Police said he then parked near Wood Street, got out, and continued shooting with a pistol and later a rifle as he walked east on Sixth Street. Officers who were stationed nearby at the time, opened fire on the shooter, killing him.

Davis said Diagne never entered Buford’s bar but fired shots from outside the building. She said evidence from the SUV and nearby businesses is still being processed and confirmed that only two weapons, a pistol and a rifle, were recovered. 

Fourteen patients were located at the scene and taken to nearby hospitals, and two victims were pronounced dead on scene. Three of those hospitalized were in critical condition. A third victim passed away on Monday. 

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation based on preliminary evidence found on the scene.   

FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran confirmed that indicators inside the suspect’s SUV suggested a possible terrorism link. Authorities later cleared those items as non-threatening but said the investigation into motive continues. 

“Obviously it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation,” he said. “But there were indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism.”

Diagne is originally from Senegal, according to multiple people briefed on the investigation. One of the people told the AP that Diagne came to the U.S. in 2006 and was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

EMT crews were also stationed in the area, which allowed paramedics to respond in under a minute. 

“I am very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said Sunday morning. “I don’t think there’s any question that it saved lives.” 

Watson said he will continue to update the public throughout the day as more details become available.

The shooting took place only a few miles from the University of Texas.

The school’s president said on social media that some of those impacted included “members of our Longhorn family.”

“Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted,” said university President Jim Davis.

The entertainment district has a heavy police presence on weekends, and officers were able to confront the gunman within a minute of the first call for help, Davis said.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the fast response by police and rescuers.

“They definitely saved lives,” he said.

One of the victims was found in the street between two parked cars. Inside the multi-story bar, there were overturned tables and drinks left behind by fleeing customers.

Another shooting early Sunday at a Cincinnati nightclub and concert venue wounded nine people, police in Ohio said.

All nine had gunshot wounds, but none were non-life threatening, said Adam Hennie, the city’s interim police chief.

There have been at least two other high-profile shootings in Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district within the past five years, including one in the summer of 2021 that left 14 people wounded. Although this weekend’s shooting doesn’t meet the definition of a mass killing, there have been five of those so far this year.

This story was first reported by KVUE, a TEGNA station based in Austin, Texas.