FBI probes after Austin Buford’s shooting kills suspect, wounds 14

A gunman opened fire outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West 6th Street in Austin’s entertainment district early Sunday, wounding 14 people and prompting officers to fatally shoot the attacker, officials said as the FBI opened a terrorism review.

Emergency crews treated 17 victims at the scene, and 14 people were transported to area hospitals, three of them in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS reported. Cbsaustin’s operational timeline said “three were pronounced dead at the scene and 14 were transported to area hospitals.” Other outlets reported two victims plus the attacker; the city and medical examiner have not yet released a final certified death toll. ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz said, “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.” Local accounts differ on the precise 911 timestamp, with other officials saying the initial call came just before 2 a.m., but all agree first responders arrived within roughly a minute.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described the shooter’s actions at an early morning briefing. The suspect drove a large SUV around the block and drove past the bar several times, Davis said, then rolled down his windows and fired a pistol at patrons. The attacker then parked, exited the vehicle with a rifle, and continued shooting at people on the patio and on nearby sidewalks, according to police. Officers who arrived were immediately confronted and “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect,” Davis said, calling it “a tragic, tragic incident.”

Law enforcement recovered both a pistol and a rifle at the scene. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the probe, and officials said there were “indicators” suggesting a possible nexus to terrorism but that it is too early to determine motive. Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said, “It’s still too early to make a determination on that,” while noting the presence of indicators that required federal involvement. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News investigators that the suspect had prior mental health episodes in Austin; CBS has identified the shooter as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, a detail authorities have not yet confirmed in a formal APD or FBI release.

Mayor Kirk Watson praised first responders, saying, “They definitely saved lives,” and credited the heavy police presence in the entertainment district as bars closed with enabling the rapid response. Videos posted on social media showed people being treated inside the bar and a woman performing CPR crying out, “Please help me – I need help!”

ATCEMS said 20 EMS resources were deployed, with all critical patients removed from the scene within 24 minutes and all patients cleared within 47 minutes. City leaders and public safety officials urged patience as investigators work to reconcile timelines, confirm identities and establish motive. Federal and local authorities said further public updates, including an official death toll from the medical examiner and any determination on a terrorism link, would follow as evidence is processed.