IN the early hours of Sunday, March 1, 2026, a gunman opened fire on the crowd outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on Austin’s West Sixth Street, killing two people and wounding 14 others before police fatally shot him. The attacker has been identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalised American citizen originally from Senegal. The FBI has opened a terrorism investigation – but as of Monday, the motive remains officially undetermined.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Diagne was driving a large SUV, which circled the block several times before he stopped, turned on the hazard lights, and began firing a handgun out the window. He then parked near Wood Street, got out, and continued shooting with a pistol and later a rifle as he walked east on Sixth Street. Officers stationed nearby opened fire on Diagne, killing him. Davis confirmed that Diagne never entered Buford’s bar – he fired at patrons from outside.
Austin–Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said responders received the call at 1:39 a.m., and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene treating patients. The rapid response is widely credited with preventing a far higher death toll.
Who Was Ndiaga Diagne?
Diagne first 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 was naturalised as an American citizen in 2013, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
He spent time in New York before relocating to Texas. On Sunday, investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Pflugerville — a suburb northeast of Austin — owned by the estate of a possible relative of Diagne. Austin Police SWAT officers, ATF agents, and FBI personnel remained on scene for hours, though authorities have not disclosed what, if anything, was recovered.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that Diagne had prior mental health episodes in Austin, and investigators are examining whether those played a role alongside any possible ideological influence.
The Terrorism Investigation
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said that while it was “way too early” to determine motive, there were indicators “on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism.”
Those indicators have been detailed by multiple sources. Diagne was wearing a shirt that said “Property of Allah” and depicted the Iranian flag, according to people familiar with the matter. Photos of Iranian leaders were also found in his home, a source told CBS News. A Quran was reportedly found in his vehicle.
Critically, investigators have cautioned that symbolic items alone do not establish motive. The shooting is considered an isolated incident rather than part of a larger plot, and ABC News sources said law enforcement is also investigating whether Diagne had mental health issues.
The Geopolitical Context
Authorities are investigating whether Diagne was motivated by the joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, a law enforcement official told Reuters. The attack occurred just one day after those strikes – and Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned: “To anyone who thinks about using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans or our critical infrastructure, understand this clearly: Texas will respond with decisive and overwhelming force to protect our state.”
However, it is essential to note that Senegal, Diagne’s country of birth, is a predominantly Muslim but moderate and stable West African nation with no ties to the Iranian government, and that no evidence of contact with any foreign terrorist organisation has emerged.
What Remains Unknown
The central question — whether this was a premeditated, ideologically motivated attack, the act of a mentally ill man whose personal beliefs intersected with a volatile geopolitical moment, or some combination of both – has not been answered. The JTTF, comprising the FBI, ATF, Austin police, and state police, is investigating Diagne’s background and possible internet posts. Digital forensics, communications records, and witness interviews are all in early stages.
The incident marked the 56th U.S. mass shooting of 2026, and the one with the most victims so far this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have urged the public to rely on official channels rather than speculation as the picture continues to develop.
