The shooting took place just before 2 a.m. local time outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, a busy beer garden and nightlife venue on West Sixth Street, a well-patronised entertainment district near the University of Texas. Witnesses told police a man in a large SUV drove past the bar several times before stopping and firing from his vehicle at patrons gathered on the patio and sidewalk. He then parked, exited the vehicle, and continued to shoot on foot.

Police officers who had been patrolling the crowded area quickly confronted the suspect; three officers exchanged fire with him and fatally shot him at an intersection nearby. The suspect’s death brought the total dead to three, including two victims and the shooter himself. Fourteen other people were wounded, with several reported in critical condition and rushed to hospitals.

Law enforcement sources and media partners of BBC News reported the FBI has said the incident may be related to terrorism, based on “indicators” found on the suspect and in his vehicle, though investigators emphasised it is still too early to determine a definitive motive.

The shooter has been identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalised U.S. citizen born in Senegal and long-time resident of the Austin area, according to law enforcement statements cited by CBC News and U.S. media. Officials said he became a U.S. citizen in 2013 after entering on a tourist visa years earlier and has previously lived in New York before moving to Texas.

Authorities searching Diagne’s home executed a warrant and found items including an Iranian flag and images of Iranian leaders, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Some law enforcement officials said the timing of the attack, a day after U.S. and allied military strikes in the Middle East, has raised questions about possible ideological or geopolitical influences, though direct links to any organised group have not been established.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis praised the swift response of officers who arrived on scene within about a minute of the first 911 calls, saying that rapid action helped limit casualties. She reiterated that the motive remains under investigation and that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting local authorities as they continue to piece together Diagne’s possible intentions.