Police say officers stopped the gunman within minutes as federal agents assess whether the attack was terrorism.
AUSTIN, Texas — A late-night shooting outside a Sixth Street bar killed two people and wounded 14 others early Sunday, turning a packed nightlife block into a police scene and prompting a federal review of whether the gunman’s actions amount to a terrorist attack, authorities said.
The gunfire erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a popular stop in Austin’s entertainment district near the University of Texas at Austin. Austin police shot and killed the suspect after he fired from an SUV and then continued shooting with a rifle, officials said. The FBI said it is examining evidence for “indicators” that could point to terrorism, while city leaders and university officials described shock and grief across a community where many weekend crowds include students.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect circled the block, then stopped and began shooting from the window of his SUV toward people on a patio and in front of the bar. Davis said the gunman later parked, stepped out holding a rifle and fired at people walking along the street. Officers rushed to an intersection and shot him, she said. Davis said three of the wounded were in critical condition Sunday morning, and she credited the response time for preventing additional deaths in a corridor that can be shoulder-to-shoulder with pedestrians.
Authorities identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, according to the Department of Homeland Security. A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said the shooter wore clothing featuring an Iranian flag design and the phrase “Property of Allah.” Officials did not release the identities of the two people killed, and they did not immediately say where the victims were standing when they were struck. Police also did not disclose how many shots were fired, how many weapons were recovered, or whether the suspect had brought extra ammunition.
The scene described by witnesses was a mix of celebration and confusion that flipped to fear in seconds. Nathan Comeaux, a 22-year-old University of Texas senior, said he had been inside Buford’s with friends and described the crowd as mostly students. “Full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights,” he said. Comeaux said he walked outside to a food truck across the street about 10 minutes before the first gunshots. Some people at first thought the noise was fireworks or a motorcycle backfiring, he said, until they saw others sprinting for cover.
Comeaux said he ducked behind a bench for about a minute, then saw officers running toward the gunfire. He started recording video as more shots rang out, he said, and watched the final moments as police confronted the shooter. Comeaux said he believes many students know someone who was hurt. “The UT community has definitely been majorly affected by this,” he said. University leaders echoed that message later Sunday as hospitals treated the wounded and families tried to reach friends who had been out on Sixth Street.
The FBI said it is treating the case as a potential terrorism investigation after agents found what officials called “indicators” connected to the suspect and inside his vehicle. Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, said investigators were still working to determine motive and whether the attack was tied to ideology or other causes. “It’s still too early to make a determination on that,” Doran said. Authorities did not say whether the suspect communicated threats before the shooting or whether he had links to any group.
Officials also described Diagne’s immigration history as they conducted background checks typical in major violence cases. DHS said he entered the United States in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa, became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, and became a naturalized citizen in 2013. People briefed on the investigation said he was originally from Senegal. Investigators did not publicly discuss any medical history, prior arrests, or prior law enforcement contact on Sunday, and they did not describe what they found beyond the “indicators” referenced by federal officials.
The shooting hit a district that has seen serious violence before. Sixth Street has been the site of multiple major shootings in recent years, including one in 2021 that wounded 14 people. That history has kept policing and emergency planning in focus for weekend nights, when bars and music venues draw crowds from across the city and visitors from out of town. Davis said the area typically has a heavy police presence, and she said officers confronted the gunman within a minute of the first call for help.
By late Sunday, the usual noise of downtown gave way to a quieter scene of taped-off blocks and investigators moving through the area. Police cordoned off several square blocks around Sixth Street. Federal agents, including agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were seen near the site along with local police. Unmarked law enforcement vehicles came and went as investigators worked through evidence collection and as medical officials continued updating families on patients’ conditions.
City and state leaders offered public messages that blended praise for first responders with a warning about broader tensions. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state would respond aggressively to anyone trying to “use the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texas.” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said police and rescuers moved quickly in a chaotic setting. “They definitely saved lives,” Watson said. University of Texas President Jim Davis said some of those affected were “members of our Longhorn family” and said, “Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted.”
Investigators said their work in the coming days will focus on piecing together the suspect’s path along Sixth Street, reviewing surveillance video from businesses and city cameras, and interviewing people who were near the bar and nearby food trucks when the shots began. Officials also said they will examine items recovered from the SUV and any other locations tied to the suspect, and they will work with hospitals to track victims’ recoveries. Because the suspect was killed by police, the criminal case will center on evidence review and public accounting rather than prosecution, while federal agents continue evaluating the terrorism question.
As of Monday, police and federal officials said they were still awaiting key results from interviews and forensic work, including what the suspect carried and why he chose the location. Authorities said additional updates would follow as victims’ identities are confirmed and as investigators complete early evidence processing.
Author note: Last updated March 2, 2026.