Police Chief Says Austin Bar Shooting Appears To Be Retaliation For US Iranian Strikes
Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Chief Lisa Davis of the Austin Police Department said Monday that Sunday’s deadly mass shooting at a city bar appears to have been in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran.
Davis spoke at a joint press briefing with local and federal law enforcement officials about the attack, which left two people dead and 14 others injured. The suspect, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, was seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt that read “Property of Allah” and a shirt underneath featuring the colors of the Iranian flag, according to photos shared on social media by The New York Post.
“I think for our purposes, as we look at the totality of this, and certainly from a police chief’s perspective, we are gathering all the information we can,” Davis said in response to a reporter’s question about whether Diagne was motivated by Saturday’s U.S. strikes on Iran. “We see indicators, including the second shirt with Iran, a picture of the Shah on that T-shirt as well. We are considering events and what is occurring in the country as well.”
Photo reveals Austin mass shooter Ndiaga Diagne wore shirt with Iranian flag colors under his hoodie https://t.co/ySYeF3dDYl pic.twitter.com/Wl7cAg0vU4
— New York Post (@nypost) March 2, 2026
It is unclear whether Davis meant to refer to the Ayatollah of Iran rather than the Shah. The Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for clarification.
Davis said the investigation, conducted in partnership with federal agencies, is focused on determining the suspect’s motives. San Antonio FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran said it is too early to declare a motive with certainty.
“This is an around-the-clock investigation at this point,” Doran said. “Any declarations on what led to that motive would be premature. We want to make sure we have our facts 100% correct and have tracked down every possible lead, because that’s what we owe to the victims.”
Doran noted that the suspect and his vehicle showed indicators of a “potential nexus to terrorism.” He said this is one investigative avenue law enforcement will pursue, but at this time, officials cannot yet point to a clear motivation.
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