The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation after at least two people were killed and 14 others wounded in a mass shooting overnight at a popular bar in Austin, Texas, authorities said Sunday. The gunman was also killed, police said.
There were indicators on the suspect and in his vehicle that suggest a “potential nexus to terrorism,” but it’s too early to determine the motivation, FBI Acting Special Agent Alex Doran said during a briefing Sunday.
Multiple U.S. officials identified the suspect to CBS News as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized American citizen born in Senegal. One source said the suspect was 53 years old. Sources said it’s unclear what the motivation was or what may have inspired the attack. Investigators believe the gunman acted alone.
The gunman was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah,” according to two sources familiar with the investigation. The description matches a photo obtained by Fox News that appears to show the gunman carrying a long gun.
Two sources told CBS News the shooter arrived in the U.S. in 2006 and was naturalized in 2013. The suspect spent time in New York before going to Texas. Police say he had a handgun and a rifle during the attack.
The investigation is ongoing, and findings are subject to change, but investigators are looking at whether the suspect self-radicalized.
Three law enforcement sources have identified to CBS News this photo as the alleged gunman in the Austin, Texas, bar shooting.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators say the shooter had had prior mental episodes in Austin. They are looking at whether the shooter was influenced by extremist ideology and if there is a nexus to international terrorism, but cautioned that the individual had prior mental health issues.
An official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told CBS News that its National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is working with its partners in Austin, the FBI and local law enforcement to probe any potential ties to foreign terrorism, and that NCTC reps are in constant communication with ODNI’s 24/7 operations center in Washington, D.C., to deliver the most timely, accurate intelligence.
President Trump has been briefed on the shooting in Austin, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Sunday.
The shooting took place a day after the United States and Israel launched a massive military operation on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said police received a call for reports of a man shooting at Buford’s, a beer garden in the city’s entertainment district.
Sources told CBS News that the gunman was driving around in an SUV circling the block when he began shooting from the vehicle’s open window at people seated at an outside bar. He then exited the SUV and continued shooting as he walked up the street. He was eventually fatally shot by responding police officers. Multiple weapons were found in the SUV, sources said.
