Three are in critical condition and a total of 14 people were injured. The gunman was killed by police.
Jay Janner / AP
Three people are dead and 14 others were injured in a mass shooting early Sunday outside Buford’s bar on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin, officials said. Among the dead was the suspected gunman who was shot by officers.
Federal officials have identified Ndiaga Diagne as the suspect in the Central Texas mass shooting.
Diagne has been a citizen of the United States since 2012 and is originally from the African nation of Senegal. Officials said Diagne was wearing clothing that said “Property of Allah” and had a design of an Iranian flag.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation based on preliminary evidence found at the scene, authorities said.
FBI official Alex Doran said in a Sunday press conference that while it’s “way too early to determine motivation,” evidence found on the shooter and in his vehicle indicate a “potential nexus to terrorism.”
Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooter was driving a “large SUV” when he stopped, put his flashers on, rolled down the window and began firing a pistol. He then drove westbound on Sixth Street, parked on Wood Street and began walking east on Sixth Street with an assault rifle, shooting at people walking by, Davis said. Officers confronted him at an intersection, where he was shot and killed, Davis said.
“Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect,” Davis said during a news conference Sunday morning.
Davis said police were able to respond promptly due to their presence on East Sixth Street, the city’s busiest strip of bars and restaurants. The first call reporting the shooting came in at 1:59 a.m.
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luckritz said three of the 14 individuals taken to hospitals were in critical condition.
The FBI has joined the Austin Police Department in the investigation into the shooting, authorities confirmed. As of 5:30 a.m., police were processing an expansive scene, including trying to collect security video in the area and talking to any patrons or witnesses inside and outside the bar.
Mayor Kirk Watson praised first responders for their prompt arrival at the scene.
“I’m very thankful for the speed with which our officials responded to this,” Watson said. “I don’t think there’s any question: It saved lives.”
A few Buford’s employees were gathered outside at 5 a.m. but declined to comment. A former manager, Scott Yancy, hugged one of the workers and burst out in tears.
Yancy said no one at Buford’s had been injured.
“I’m so glad everyone is OK,” Yancy said.
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, said on social media that he was “horrified and heartbroken” by the mass shooting and called for prayers for those in critical condition.
“We must end America’s gun violence epidemic,” Casar said on X. “Americans should be able to have fun at a bar without it turning into an unspeakable nightmare like this one — and I will redouble my efforts in Congress to prevent the next tragedy like this.”
Austin City Council member Vanessa Fuentes thanked first responders and said the shooting left the city “shaken, grieving and looking for answers.”
“To the victims, their families, and loved ones: our hearts are with you during this tragic time,” Fuentes said on Instagram.
Mayor Pro Tem Chito Vela said on X he was “heartbroken” over the incident.
“Thanks to our police, EMS and firefighters for the quick response,” Vela wrote.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza also issued a statement Sunday morning offering his condolences.
“We are heartbroken for all the shooting victims and our community impacted by this senseless violence,” Garza said in the statement. “We are grateful for the courageous response from first responders, who undoubtedly saved lives. We are in touch with our law enforcement partners to support the investigation.”
City Council member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, whose district includes downtown, said he was “deeply shaken and heartbroken” by the shooting.
“I have been in touch with Austin Police as well as state and federal law enforcement while we look for answers and ensure everyone’s safety in the days to come,” Qadri said on X.
Witnesses describe the shooting scene, aftermath
Mason Whitt, a 29-year-old video editor, was walking past Buford’s just before 2 a.m. on a night out when he said he heard what sounded like six shots from the bar.
He saw people running but remained calm. He wondered if it had been the sound of a car backfiring. But when a shirtless man came up to him with a flesh wound from a bullet, he realized there had been a shooter.
“He said, ‘I just got shot,’ and he began to take his pants off to see if he had been hit again.” Whitt said.
Whitt said he saw people cowering behind nearby buildings. As he was walking away, he said he heard what sounded like automatic gunfire with a much larger magazine.
Whitt said he eventually got in an Uber. The driver agreed to take him and a group of young women away from the scene.
Matthew Gauna, 28, and his friend had left Buford’s at about 1:45 a.m. and gone across the street to the bar POP in time for the bartender’s last call. He described Buford’s that night as “packed.”
Gauna said neither he nor his friend heard the shots due to the loud music, but that they left POP they stumbled into a chaotic scene outside. Gauna said they saw some people crying and others dancing by the police officers, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
Marc White said he was at Mayfair Nightclub & Terrace, about a block and a half away from Buford’s, when the shooting happened but he didn’t hear it.
“It’s terrifying to hear that people died,” he said. “You don’t expect this to happen on West Sixth Street.”
Jeremiah Carbajal, a concierge at Hanover Republic Square on West Fifth Street, said he heard what sounded like something twice as powerful as fireworks going off.
“I heard screaming and yelling and crying,” he said.
Anyone searching for family members or friends in connection with the shooting is asked to call the Austin Police Department’s Victim Services Unit at 512-974-5037.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
By Tony Plohetski, Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Claire Osborn
