A third person has died from injuries suffered in Sunday's mass shooting on Austin's West Sixth Street, bringing the death toll to three and deepening one of the most devastating attacks in the city's history.
Austin police identified the third victim Monday night as 30-year-old Jorge Pederson. The other two victims killed were Savitha Shan, 24, and Ryder Harrington, 22.
The shooting unfolded just before 2 a.m. Sunday at Buford's, a bar at the intersection of West Sixth and Rio Grande streets. The gunman - identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne - circled the block several times in a large SUV before stopping, activating his hazard lights, rolling down his windows and opening fire with a pistol on patrons sitting on the patio and standing in front of the bar. He then drove west, parked on nearby Wood Street, got out with a rifle and continued shooting at people on the sidewalk before officers shot and killed him.
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said paramedics received the call at 1:59 a.m. and were on scene treating patients within 57 seconds. Of the 17 total patients treated, three were pronounced dead at the scene - including the suspect - and 14 were transported to area hospitals, three of them in critical condition.
Diagne first entered the U.S. in 2000 on a tourist visa, became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen, and became a naturalized citizen in 2013, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was originally from Senegal. Both APD and the FBI said Diagne was not on their radar prior to the shooting.
APD Chief Lisa Davis said Monday that Diagne was wearing a shirt related to Iran. According to Rep. Chip Roy, who said he spoke with FBI and APD officials, the suspect's clothing bore the words "Property of Allah," and a Quran was found in his vehicle.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran said there were "indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism," though he said it was too early to determine whether the investigation pointed toward domestic or international terrorism.
Savitha Shan was a University of Texas student. UT President Jim Davis said in a letter to campus that a number of students were injured in the attack, some seriously.
Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase patrols along Sixth Street on weekends, warning: "To anyone who thinks about using the current conflict in the Middle East to threaten Texans or our critical infrastructure, understand this clearly: Texas will respond with decisive and overwhelming force."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Austin Police at 512-974-TIPS. Families searching for loved ones can call APD's Victim Services Unit at 512-974-5037.
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