Ndiaga Diagne identified as suspect in West Sixth bar shooting; ndiaga diagne named by Austin police
Police have identified ndiaga diagne, 53, as the suspect in a deadly shooting outside a beer garden on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin that left multiple people dead or injured on March 1, 2026. The FBI says the incident may be related to terrorism, and investigators are continuing an early-stage probe.
Ndiaga Diagne: identity, citizenship and how police say the encounter ended
Austin police named the suspect as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne and said he was a naturalised American citizen born in Senegal. Officers responding to calls of an active shooter at around 02: 00 local time (08: 00 GMT) on Sunday near Buford's bar said they shot and killed the suspect at an intersection, bringing the death toll to three.
Police have not offered a motive for the shooting.
Sequence of the attack at Buford's and West Sixth Street
Chief Lisa Davis said officers who were on patrol in the busier East Sixth Street district quickly responded after reports of a man with a gun at Buford's, which is located farther down on West Sixth Street. Davis described a man in a large SUV driving by Buford's who put on the vehicle's hazard lights, rolled down his window and fired a pistol, striking people on the patio and the pavement outside the bar.
She said the driver then parked the SUV nearby, got out with a rifle and started walking back toward the bar. Three police officers confronted the suspect at an intersection and shot and killed him.
FBI steps in, evidence flagged as possible 'nexus to terrorism'
Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI's San Antonio office said there were indications in the SUV and on the suspect that suggested a "nexus to terrorism. " Doran cautioned that the investigation was in its early stages and that he was "not prepared to release those details. " He added, "We are committed to seeing this process through to the very end. "
Investigators have indicated the gunman was wearing a sweatshirt with the words "Property of Allah. " Officers who searched the suspect's home found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders. The attack occurred on the weekend that the US and its ally Israel launched multiple strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The SUV was searched and was not carrying explosives,.
Casualties, hospital reports and eyewitness accounts
Initial police statements said two people were killed and over a dozen were injured in the shooting outside the beer garden; with the death of the suspect the death toll rose to three. Fourteen survivors were taken to hospital, and Rob Luckritz, head of Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services, said three of those people were in a critical condition.
Kelson Lee, 25, who was within earshot when gunfire erupted at Buford's, walked inside to look for a friend. He said he saw "about seven to eight bodies on the floor" and added, "No-one should ever have to see that. " Lee described blacking out, freezing up and feeling helpless because he wanted to help people.
Scene response in downtown Austin and official briefings
The shooting occurred on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin near the intersection with Nueces; police officers guarded the scene at West Sixth and West Avenue and vehicles were seen blocking roads in the area. An FBI agent was among those investigating the scene on West Sixth Street at West Avenue following the attack.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and Mayor Kirk Watson provided briefings on the mass shooting; Davis and Watson and other city officials left a press conference after briefing the public. The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump has been notified of the shooting.
The investigation remains active and officials have said they will release further details as they are able.
