Austin 6th Street shooting: 3 dead; image shows apparent gunman as terror ties probed

AUSTIN, Texas - Three people, including the gunman, were killed, and 14 others were wounded in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin's bustling Sixth Street entertainment district early Sunday morning that authorities said may have ties to terrorism.

What we know

At a press conference early Sunday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said police received a call around 1:40 a.m. for reports of a "male shooting" at Buford's, a beer garden in the city's busy entertainment district.

When police arrived at the scene, they confronted a man with a gun and then "returned fire, killing the suspect," Davis said.

The Department of Homeland Security later identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal who lived in Pflugerville, a suburb north of Austin.

According to EMS Chief Robert Luckritz, three people died at the scene and 14 people were taken to hospitals. Three of those injured were in critical condition.

Davis said that the gunman had two weapons during the shooting, but that he never entered the bar.

"He drove by, was firing outside the window with a pistol," Davis said. "Once he exited the vehicle after parking on Wood, he exited with a rifle at that point."

Davis said an explosives team was called in to evaluate the gunman's vehicle after investigators found concerning items inside. No bombs were found, however.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Guard to step up patrols in surveillance across the state as part of Operation Fury Shield.

DPS will also increase patrols in the Sixth Street district, Abbott said.

Image of apparent gunman surfaces

While investigators haven’t released the identity of the gunman, an image obtained by FOX News purportedly shows the shooter wearing a sweatshirt that reads "Property of Allah." 

According to the Associated Press, the gunman was wearing a T-shirt underneath the sweatshirt that had an Iranian flag on it.

Possible terrorism ties

Authorities have identified the gunman as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal who lived in Pflugerville.

An image obtained by FOX News purports to show Diagne wearing a sweatshirt that reads "Property of Allah."

According to the Associated Press, he was wearing a T-shirt underneath the sweatshirt that had an Iranian flag on it.

Abbott says Texas will respond with ‘overwhelming force’

Abbott said Sunday morning that the state is mourning and expressed a note of resilience. 

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"This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans," Abbott said in a written statement. "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 to protect our state."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates