Death toll rises to 3 as officials probe whether Austin mass shooting motivated by Iran strikes
Death toll rises to 3 as officials probe whether Austin mass shooting motivated by Iran strikes
Amanda Musa, Hanna Park, Holly Yan, Ed Lavandera, Elise Hammond, CNNTue, March 3, 2026 at 6:43 AM UTC
35
Members of the FBI and local law enforcement investigate outside of Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Sunday in Austin, Texas. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Early Sunday morning, just as bars along Austin’s bustling Sixth Street were winding down for the night, a barrage of gunfire tore through the popular entertainment district in the heart of Texas’ capital, leaving three people dead and more than a dozen others injured.
Ryder Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21, were killed in the shooting, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference Monday. Police initially provided different ages.
A third person, 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, has also died as a result of the shooting, the police department said Monday, after authorities said one person injured was expected to be taken off life support.
While the motive for the deadly onslaught has not been confirmed, authorities are investigating whether the suspect - who was fatally shot by police - was inspired by this weekend’s US and Israeli strikes on Iran, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said.
Investigators are also digging into the man’s criminal history and his mental health records, sources said.
Here’s what we know:
Was Iran a factor?
The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, had not previously been on the radar of Austin police or the FBI, officials said Monday.
The suspect was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it underneath a hoodie printed with “Property of Allah,” a law enforcement official told CNN.
This image of Ndiaga Diagne was captured by a Tesla camera on the night of the shooting, a senior law enforcement source said. The image was initially obtained by Fox News. - Obtained by CNN
Investigators are looking for connections, pouring through “thousands of hours of video” and interviewing witnesses, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio division, said at a news conference Monday.
The investigation also involves sorting through a high volume of both digital and physical evidence, so “we don’t want to speculate or make any guesses at this stage of the investigation as to what that motive ultimately was,” he said.
A bevy of law enforcement officers arrived Sunday at a home connected to the suspect in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin, CNN affiliate KEYE reported. Investigators hauled boxes of items from the home and examined a car in the driveway, KEYE reported.
Authorities searching the home were likely investigating computers and phones to determine if the suspect read any propaganda or left any writings indicating what he intended to do, an official told CNN.
After the initial scene was secured, police called federal officials to “address concerns of potential terrorism,” Austin’s police chief said Monday. Local police will rely on their federal partners to investigate whether, for instance, his clothing helped point to a motive, Davis added.
Who is the suspect?
Diagne entered the United States on March 13, 2000, on a B‑2 tourist visa, a Department of Homeland Security official told CNN. In June 2006, he adjusted his status to lawful permanent resident based on marriage to a US citizen. He naturalized on April 5, 2013.
Ndiaga Diagne. - Austin Police Department
Diagne was originally from Senegal, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Upon arriving in the US, Diagne initially settled in New York and eventually made his way to Texas, although it’s not clear when, the official said. He had multiple addresses in the Lone Star State, the official added.
In 2022, he was arrested in Texas on a charge of collision with vehicle damage, a misdemeanor offense, according to the DHS official.
Authorities are also reviewing past mental health encounters the suspect had while living in Texas, multiple law enforcement officials have said.
CNN has reached out to the Austin Police Department and the FBI’s San Antonio division for more details.
How did the shooting unfold?
The violence erupted along a stretch of Sixth Street, known for its dense concentration of bars and live music venues. The vibrant corridor is a short drive from the University of Texas at Austin, which has 55,000 students.
Authorities first received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, Davis said.
“At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar,” Davis said.
The suspect then drove west on Sixth Street, parked his SUV and got out with a rifle, the police chief said. He then began shooting at people walking by, she said.
Authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute, Davis said.
“Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed,” Davis said.
Video from the scene shows law enforcement officers running toward the scene as people duck for cover. The deadly attack is among 56 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Nathan Comeaux, a University of Texas senior, was celebrating two friends’ 21st birthdays at Buford’s when he left around 1:50 a.m. to grab some pizza from a food truck across the street, he told CNN. Shortly before 2 a.m., he heard the sound of 15 to 20 gunshots.
Advertisement
“If either me or my friends had left a few minutes later, we would have been on the patio when the shooter was attacking Buford’s,” the 22-year-old recalled Monday.
After the initial barrage of gunfire ended, “I took out my phone to capture what was going on,” Comeaux said. “I saw the suspect engage with the cops down the street from me. And then he was taken out by the police.”
FBI agents investigate at the scene of a mass shooting in downtown Austin, Texas, on Sunday. - Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesWho are the victims?
Harrington, the 19-year-old killed, was a former Texas Tech student, the university said in a statement to CNN affiliate KCBD.
His older brother, Reed Harrington, penned an warm tribute on Facebook, writing “I love you more than you will ever know. No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother.”
“Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future,” he said in the post, alongside photos of his brother.
Ryder Harrington identified as a victim in Austin mass shooting. - Reed Harrington/Instagram
Beta Theta Pi said Harrington was a member of its chapter at Texas Tech, joining the fraternity in the fall of 2024.
It described Harrington as someone who “had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable,” according to a Facebook post. “He made the world around him better simply by being in it.” The fraternity held a candlelight vigil Monday night.
“We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident in Austin that resulted in the loss of life,” Texas Tech said in a statement, KCBD reported. “Harrington had previously been enrolled at Texas Tech University, most recently during the Fall 2025 semester, but was not enrolled this semester. Our thoughts are with Ryder’s family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating situation.”
Savitha Shan identified as a victim in Austin mass shooting. - Instagram
Shan, the 21-year-old killed, was a student at the University of Texas at Austin, according to her LinkedIn account.
UT Austin President Jim Davis confirmed a UT student was “among those who lost their lives,” without naming Shan directly, but described her as the “child of loving parents” and “a loyal friend to many.”
“It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her,” Davis wrote in a statement Monday.
A number of other UT students were hurt in the shooting, he said, and some of the injuries are “very serious.”
While the shootings happened off campus, students “will see increased patrols this week across the University and in the West Campus neighborhood,” Davis warned.
A community vigil will be held Tuesday evening on the UT campus, the university’s Students Demand Action chapter said.
Jorge Pederson identified as a victim in Austin mass shooting. - Med City Fighting Championships/
Pederson, the 30-year-old who authorities said died Monday, was described as a “beloved Minnesotan fighter” by mixed martial arts promoter Med City Fighting Championships.
“He was a fantastic fighter. One of our favorite people to interact with, throughout the years of our existence. Our condolences to all of his friends and family. It was an honor to have known him,” MCFC said in a Facebook post.
Authorities have not identified those injured and two people remain in critical condition, according to police.
Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden expressed its condolences to the victims, writing on Instagram Monday: “These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them, and our thoughts and prayers are with every family impacted.”
Paramedics in the area responded quickly, according to officials, as authorities praised emergency services for their quick response.
“We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes,” said Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson offered his condolences to the victims and their families and praised first responders for their fearless, rapid response, saying “They definitely saved lives.”
Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the attack and directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth Street area on weekends.
Abbott also warned the state would respond aggressively to anyone “using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans.” He ordered the Texas Military Department to activate patrols to protect communities and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities and ports.
“This act of violence will not define us,” he said, “nor will it shake the resolve of Texans.”
This story has been .
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry, Alisha Ebrahimji, Chris Boyette, Holmes Lybrand, John Miller and Karina Tsui contributed to this report
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Source: “AOL Breaking”
