FBI Probes Potential Terror Nexus After Austin Shooting at Buford’s Kills 2, Injures 14
Federal and local authorities are investigating the austin shooting in downtown Austin after a gunman opened fire at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden early Sunday, killing two people and wounding 14. The investigation has taken on a counterterrorism dimension after agents found indicators on the suspect and in his vehicle that prompted an FBI probe.
Austin Shooting at Buford’s on Sixth Street
The attack occurred shortly before 2 a. m. on Sunday, March 1, 2026, along Sixth Street, a popular nightlife corridor a few miles from the University of Texas at Austin. Witnesses and video show a large SUV circling past Buford’s several times before the driver stopped and fired a pistol into the bar’s patio and at people gathered outside. The vehicle then was parked, the suspect exited with an assault rifle and continued firing on the street. Police officers engaged the attacker and shot him dead on the scene.
One witness, Nathan Comeaux, recorded the final moments. Emergency crews transported all 14 wounded patrons to local hospitals; Austin EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said three of the injured were in critical condition. City briefings confirmed two people were killed in the attack; officials also said three people, including the suspect, were killed overall. Names of the victims were released late Sunday night.
FBI San Antonio Field Office and Alex Doran
Alex Doran, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said investigators are still determining motive but have detected "indicators" on the alleged gunman and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism. Those findings have shifted the inquiry from a local homicide investigation into a probe with federal counterterrorism involvement.
Suspect Identified as Ndiaga Diagne
Austin police identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. The Department of Homeland Security said Diagne was born in Senegal and first entered the United States in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa; the record shows he married a U. S. citizen in 2006 and became a lawful per—unclear in the provided context. The gunman reportedly was wearing clothing bearing an Iranian flag design and the words "Property of Allah. "
State and Federal Reactions
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was briefed on the attack. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who had expressed support for a recent strike on Iran, said the state would respond decisively to threats and urged public vigilance. Abbott had directed the Texas Military Department the day before the shooting to activate service members to work alongside state and federal partners to safeguard communities and critical infrastructure, and he ordered the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to intensify patrols and surveillance.
The timing matters because the shooting occurred one day after U. S. and Israeli forces launched a major military campaign against Iran, and the suspect’s clothing displayed Iranian imagery—details that federal investigators have flagged as part of their probe.
