The day after the supreme leader of Iran died in a U.S.-Israeli military operation, an immigrant wearing clothing bearing the Iranian flag opened fire in an entertainment district in Texas.
According to the Associated Press and others on the 1st (local time), at about 2 a.m. on the 1st, a shooting at a bar on 6th Street, an entertainment district in Austin, Texas, left two people dead and 14 wounded. Three of the injured are in critical condition.
The suspect drove a sport utility vehicle (SUV) past the bar several times, then stopped the car and fired a handgun out the window at people on the terrace and in front of the bar. After parking, the suspect got out with a rifle and also opened fire on nearby pedestrians.
Police who happened to be stationed nearby confronted the suspect within a minute of the incident and shot the suspect dead at the scene.
The suspect was Ndiaga Diane, 53, a Senegal native who entered the United States in 2006 and obtained citizenship. The suspect was reportedly wearing a tracksuit top that read "property of Allah" and a shirt bearing the Iranian flag at the time of the crime.
SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist extremist organizations, said the suspect had previously used Facebook to express support for the Iranian regime and hatred toward U.S. and Israeli leadership.
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio office, said, "Based on what was found on the gunman and in the vehicle, we are investigating whether the incident was an act of terrorism," but added, "It is still too early to reach a conclusion."