UPDATE — 3/2/26 a 10:00 a.m. ET: Authorities have released more information about the gunman behind the mass shooting that broke out during the early morning hours of Sunday, March 1, outside Buford’s, a popular beer garden in Austin, Texas.
Investigators claim the shooting was carried out by Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to America from Senegal in 2000.
The 53-year-old became an American citizen in 2013. Because he was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “Property of Allah” and underneath that, a T-shirt with an Iranian flag, federal investigators are looking into a “potential nexus to terrorism.”
The gunman’s specific motive still remains unknown.
We are also learning about one of three people who were killed in the shooting.
Ryder Harrington, a Texas Tech student, was identified by loved ones in a GoFundMe page launched to support his family. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our brother, Ryder Harrington,” the fundraising page reads. Harrington was described as “a beloved son, brother, and friend” who “brought a light that was impossible to ignore.”
Original story:
A mass shooting outside an Austin, Texas, bar has left three people dead — including the suspected gunman — and another 14 seriously injured, Us Weekly confirms.
Gunfire broke out during the early morning hours of Sunday, March 1, outside Buford’s, a popular beer garden on West Sixth and Rio Grande streets, Austin Police said.
According to authorities, officers responded to the scene just before 1:40 a.m. and eliminated the suspected gunman, whose name has not been publicly released.
Police also haven’t released the names of the deceased victims.
Eyewitness video shared on social media and allegedly captured from the scene appears to show officers pinning a man to the ground while emergency medical workers rendered aid.
The person recording the footage claims “that’s the piece of s**t” who shot up the bar.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis spoke to the media at 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. press conferences and said that first responders were on the scene less than a minute after the first 911 calls were received by dispatch describing a “male shooter” at the popular nightspot.
“They definitely saved lives,” Davis said.
Authorities confronted a man fleeing the scene with a gun upon arrival and “returned fire, killing the shooter,” Davis explained.
EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said that three people were found dead at the scene, while 14 others were injured and transported to nearby hospitals. Three of the wounded, he said, were listed in critical condition.
“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz told reporters.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also spoke to reporters, applauding the rapid response of the city’s police officers and EMTs.
“I’m very thankful for the speed with which our public safety officials responded to this,” said Watson. “I don’t think there’s any question that it saved lives.”
Members of the Austin Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were still at the scene of the shooting late Sunday morning. A pistol and a rifle were both said to have been recovered from the scene.
Law enforcement sources claim to CBS News that the shooter has a history of mental health issues and are currently investigating whether the shooter was influenced by extremist ideology, specifically Islamic extremism.
An official motive for the mass shooting remains unclear.
“My condolences to those that have been touched by this. This is a tragic, tragic incident,” Davis said.
Anyone looking to reconnect with loved ones should call the Austin Police victim services unit at (512) 974-5037.
If you have any information about witnesses to the shooting or videos that may have captured what happened can submit the evidence here.
Tipsters can also call Austin Police at (512) 974-TIPS. You may submit your tips anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by calling (512) 472-8477.
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