AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Federal officials said Thursday that the man responsible for a deadly mass shooting in downtown Austin acted alone and was not directed by any foreign terrorist organization.
The FBI said its investigation, which involved 400 personnel and the review of more than 150 million digital files, found that 53-year old Ndiaga Diagne received no outside funding, operational support, or direction for the attack on West Sixth Street that left three dead and 15 injured on March 1 at Buford's.
While initial reports suggested "indicators" of terrorism, investigators now believe Diagne’s violent behavior escalated due to specific personal grievances connected to the conflict in Iran. The FBI found that Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, held a deep admiration for former Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been killed in U.S. and Israeli attacks just one day prior to the shooting.
During the massacre, Diagne wore an Iranian flag and a sweatshirt reading “Property of Allah.”
The shooting ended minutes after it began when responding Austin Police Department officers confronted and killed Diagne. The FBI credited the department's rapid response with preventing a significantly higher death toll.
Investigators confirmed that Diagne used a handgun and a rifle in the assault, both of which had been purchased legally in 2017.
Despite the depth of the probe—which included 88 interviews and the review of 200 hours of video footage—the FBI stated it has not yet identified conclusive evidence explaining Diagne’s specific motive or his choice of location for the attack.
Diagne had no prior history with the FBI and had not been the subject of any previous investigations before the March 1 attack. The massive probe utilized resources from 14 different field offices and multiple law enforcement agencies.
