The FBI provided an update on the deadly Austin bar shooting from early March, disclosing that the suspect was a “lone actor” with no apparent connections to foreign terrorist organizations.
The bureau said Ndiaga Diagne, 53, was seemingly inspired by the Iran war. He allegedly carried out the attack in the early hours of March 1, one day after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
No definitive motive, supported by conclusive evidence, has been identified yet. It also remains unclear why he selected Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden as the location for the shooting.
“The investigation indicates an escalation in violent behavior in part tied to specific personal triggers and grievances related to U.S. and Israeli military actions involving Iran, culminating in a violent, impulsive attack,” the FBI said in a statement on Thursday.
Diagne admired the now-deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and wore clothes depicting an Iranian flag with the words “Property of Allah,” according to the FBI. His affinity for Iran and its former leader were most likely factors that led to the shooting, the bureau added.
The FBI led the investigation to identify any possible terrorist links to the suspect. Based on the evidence so far, the bureau said he received “no direction, funding, or operational support for his attack.”
Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, was never investigated by the FBI beforehand.
The shooter killed three people and wounded 15 others with a handgun and rifle that he purchased back in 2017. He also died, sustaining wounds from gunfire discharged by Austin police.
The whole incident lasted about five minutes, with Diagne allegedly firing from his vehicle and on foot before he was killed.
Over two months later, the FBI continues to investigate the shooting.
SHOOTING IN CARROLLTON, TEXAS LEAVES TWO DEAD AND MORE INJURED
A separate bombing attack was carried out by two alleged ISIS supporters in New York City on March 7, one week after the war started. The suspects lit the explosives, but they did not detonate. They wanted to kill up to 60 people and make the attack bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing from 2013, according to authorities. There is no indication they were motivated by the Iran war.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, face federal charges for the attempted ISIS-inspired attack. The teenagers pleaded not guilty last month.