A gunman who killed three people and injured over a dozen at an Austin bar posted a steady stream of extremist, anti‑religious and misogynistic material in the roughly 18 months before the attack, law enforcement sources say. The shooting occurred early Sunday, one day after the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes on Iran.
Investigators tied an X account created in October 2024 — last active in December — to the suspect. The account reportedly included pro‑Iranian posts, praise for Muslims, disparaging messages about Christians and attacks on political figures. Authorities say they found no explicit messages outlining plans to carry out an attack.
One April reply amid heightened Israel‑Iran tensions read in part: ‘THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IS ETERNAL … you Zionist and islamophobes can be angry all you want but you can’t do a damn thing about it no matter what.’ That reply referenced an April 28 post by Iran’s foreign minister criticizing former President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Police identified the shooter as 53‑year‑old Ndiaga Diagne, who was killed by officers in a shootout. At the scene he wore a T‑shirt bearing a design similar to the Iranian flag beneath a hoodie reading ‘Property of Allah.’ Investigators said a Quran was found in the SUV he drove. A search of his Austin apartment turned up an Islamic Republic of Iran flag and photographs of Iranian regime leaders, according to a person with direct knowledge of the probe.
Sources say Diagne had a history of mental health issues; Texas officers previously responded to a suicidal call involving him. U.S. officials say he was an immigrant from Senegal who arrived in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013.
While living in New York, Diagne was sued after a crash that severely injured a woman; details and the outcome of that lawsuit remain unclear. Public records show four arrests between 2001 and 2016. The only unsealed record, from 2001, was for illegally selling sunglasses.
Multiple social accounts used a username matching the gunman’s name. The X account investigators highlighted contained posts insulting Christianity (calling it ‘fake’ and using vulgar language about religious figures), praising Muslims as worshiping ‘THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD,’ and criticizing leaders: one post called Trump ‘A shameless clown,’ another described Netanyahu as ‘Evil.’ In December, the account replied to a meme with a misogynistic line: ‘SPERM and have built everything in this world.’ Several replies targeted right‑wing influencer Laura Loomer, including an obscene slur accusing ‘you and your Israel first acolytes fake Jews’ of hypocrisy.
Authorities continue to examine the motive and any possible links to outside actors or groups. So far, investigators say the social posts show extremist sentiment but do not provide a clear, actionable plan for the attack.
Rhona Tarrant and Camilo Montoya‑Galvez contributed to reporting on this story.