FBI probes possible terrorism link to deadly Texas bar shooting

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Sunday said it is investigating “indicators” that suggest a possible terrorism link after a bar shooting in Texas left at least two people dead and 14 others injured.

At about 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, officers responded to a report of an active shooting on West Sixth Street, the Austin Police Department announced on Facebook. When officers arrived at the scene, they fatally shot the suspect, Austin Police Department Chief Lisa Davis confirmed.

According to authorities and emergency medical personnel, at least two people were found dead at the scene, and 14 others were injured in the attack, with three remaining in critical condition. The victims’ identities were not disclosed.

Law enforcement officials said the suspect had a history of mental health conditions, according to an internal update from the National Counterterrorism Center reviewed by Reuters. A law enforcement official told Reuters that the shooter wore a shirt with an Iranian flag and a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah” on it.

Authorities are investigating whether the suspect was motivated by the joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, a law enforcement official told Reuters. The shooter was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, an official said.

Law enforcement agencies have not publicly released the name of the shooter or identified a specific motive. Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, told reporters on Sunday that there “were indicators on the subject, and in his vehicle, that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.”

USA Today has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI for additional information.

Mayor: Officers, EMS personnel ‘made a difference and saved lives’

The incident happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a popular bar in the West Sixth Street stretch of Austin – known as the heart of the city’s music and nightlife area, and for its food trucks, according to local media reports. Davis said that the suspect circled the bar several times in an SUV just before the shooting, stopped and then fired a pistol from the car at those in front of the location.

The suspect then parked, exited the vehicle, and shot at people who walked by with the pistol and then a rifle, according to Davis. Officers who were stationed in the entertainment district where the bar is located fatally shot the suspect when confronted at an intersection, Davis added.

“We were about 55, 56 seconds away coming from east to west Austin, and that saved multiple lives,” David said.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Chief Robert Luckritz confirmed at the news conference on Sunday that medical personnel responded to the scene in less than one minute.

“There is no question in my mind that the quick response of the police officers and of our EMS personnel and those professionals made a difference and saved lives,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the news conference.

FBI on the deadly shooting: ‘Very early stages of the investigation’

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is working with the Austin Police Department on the investigation, which includes staff from the federal agency’s evidence response and digital forensic teams, Doran said at the news conference. Doran did not disclose what the “indicators” were about the suspect when asked at the news conference, adding “it’s very early stages of the investigation and we wouldn’t want to potentially impute any of any further investigative actions.”

The incident marked the 56th U.S. mass shooting this year and the one with the most victims so far, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people, not including the shooter, are injured or killed by gunfire. The United States had 407 mass shootings in 2025, according to archive data.

The shooting in Austin also occurred on the same day that at least nine people were injured in a shooting during an event at a concert venue in Cincinnati.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that President Donald Trump has been “briefed on the shooting.”

Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, whose district includes East Austin, said in a post on social media that he “will support full transparency for the families and public.” Republican Sen. John Cornyn said that FBI Director Kash Patel told him that Austin Police “continues to take the lead, with FBI assistance, in the investigation.”

Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today

This story has been updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA Today

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