Austin Bar Shooting: Attacker's Motives Investigated

An individual identified as Ndiaga Diagne carried out a shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, resulting in three fatalities and injuries to over a dozen others. The incident occurred early Sunday, following U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran. Diagne, 53, was subsequently killed by police in a shootout.

The incident, which left three dead and over a dozen injured, followed U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran.

Investigation Details: Online Activity

Law enforcement sources in Texas indicated that the attacker had posted antisemitic, anti-Christian, and misogynistic content on an X account in the 18 months prior to the shooting. Investigators believe this account is linked to Diagne. Posts from the account, created in October 2024 with its most recent activity in December, included pro-Iranian and pro-Islam messages, as well as anti-Christian remarks. No posts explicitly detailing intentions for an attack were reportedly found.

Specific posts attributed to the account include:

• An April post stating, "THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IS ETERNAL … you Zionist and islamophobes can be angry all you want but you can't do a damn thing about it no matter what," in reply to an Iranian foreign minister's critique of then-President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• Referring to President Trump as "A shameless clown" and Prime Minister Netanyahu as "Evil."
• A December post, in response to a meme about what men produce, stating, "SPERM and have built everything in this world."
• Multiple posts disparaging Christianity, including one calling the religion "fake" and others using vulgar language for Christian figures.
• An October post asserting, "Muslims worship THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD."
• Replies to Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer, including one using derogatory language and stating, "you and your Israel first acolytes fake Jews know it, so melt down all you want you ugly [b—-]."

Sources familiar with the investigation suggested that the conflict in Iran appeared to be a contributing factor in the attack.

Physical Evidence

During the shooting, Diagne was observed wearing a T-shirt with a design similar to the Iranian flag and a hoodie that read "Property of Allah." A Quran was located in the SUV he operated during the incident. A search of his Austin apartment uncovered an Islamic Republic of Iran flag and images of Iranian regime leaders.

Attacker's Background

Ndiaga Diagne was an immigrant from Senegal, arriving in the U.S. in 2000 and becoming a U.S. citizen in 2013.

Law enforcement sources noted a history of mental health issues, including a past police response due to suicidal ideation. Records indicate four arrests between 2001 and 2016, with one unsealed arrest in 2001 for illegally selling sunglasses. While living in New York, he was involved in a lawsuit for severely injuring a woman in a vehicle crash, the resolution of which remains unclarified.