A gunman wearing clothing bearing an Iranian flag design and the words "Property of Allah" killed two people and wounded 14 in an austin shooting outside Buford's Backyard Beer Garden, Austin police said.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the attacker drove past the bar multiple times, fired from the window of an SUV at people on a patio and in front of the bar, then parked and opened fire with a rifle at people walking along the street.
Officers confronted the suspect and shot and killed him, Davis said, and police reported the attacker used both a pistol and a rifle. Three of the wounded were in critical condition, police said.
Investigation Reaction And Background
The FBI said it is investigating the shooting as a potential act of terrorism after agents found "indicators" on the gunman and in his vehicle, Alex Doran, acting agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio office, told reporters.
The Department of Homeland Security identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne and provided immigration history, saying he entered the US on a B-2 tourist visa, became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a US citizen, and naturalized in 2013.
People briefed on the investigation told AP the suspect was originally from Senegal. AP also corrected an earlier report to say he arrived in the United States in 2000, not 2006.
A student witness, Nathan Comeaux, a 22-year-old senior, said the street was packed with college students and that some initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks or a loud motorcycle.
State and local leaders reacted swiftly, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott warning the state would respond aggressively to those trying to use the Middle East conflict to threaten Texas, and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praising the rapid police response.
University of Texas at Austin President Jim Davis said members of the Longhorn community were among those affected. The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting, according to a statement.
Although this shooting did not meet the definition of a mass killing, AP reported there have been five such incidents so far this year, the news agency said.
