Two people were killed and 14 others wounded early Sunday when a gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas, in what authorities are investigating as a potential act of terrorism, reports The Associated Press.
A law enforcement official told AP that the attacker was wearing clothing with an Iranian flag design and declared “Property of Allah." The shooting occurred a day after the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran.
Police shot and killed the gunman at the scene. According to authorities, he used both a pistol and a rifle during the attack.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect drove past the bar several times before stopping and firing from the window of his SUV at people on a patio and in front of the establishment. He then parked, exited the vehicle with a rifle and began shooting at pedestrians along the street. Officers rushed to the intersection and shot him.
Three of the wounded were listed in critical condition Sunday morning, Davis said.
The suspect was identified by the Department of Homeland Security as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne. DHS said Diagne first entered the United States in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a US citizen and was naturalized as a US citizen in 2013.
According to multiple individuals briefed on the investigation who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity, Diagne was originally from Senegal.
Authorities discovered “indicators" on the suspect and in his vehicle that led the FBI to examine the possibility of terrorism, said Alex Doran, the acting agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that the state would respond forcefully to anyone seeking to “use the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texas."
“We will not be intimidated, and we will not be terrorized," he said in a statement.