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The FBI said a shooting that left three people dead and 14 others wounded in a downtown Austin, Texas, rampage early Sunday was “potentially an act of terrorism.”
The suspect was a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal and lived in Pflugerville, Texas, multiple federal law enforcement sources told Fox News.
According to those sources, the shooter was wearing clothing that said “Allah” on it and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag.
The gunfire erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street, a packed entertainment district, after the suspect in a large SUV drove around the block several times before opening fire, police said.
“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Dorn, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said at a Sunday press conference.
“Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that. That’s why we are investigating it very closely with our partners with Austin police department,” Dorn added.
When pressed by a reporter on whether the case involved domestic or international terrorism, Dorn said the Joint Terrorism Task Force is engaged.
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“We’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism,” he added.
Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman “put his flashers on, rolled down his window and began using a pistol shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the Bar.”
The suspect then drove westbound on Sixth Street to Wood Street, parked, exited the vehicle with a rifle and continued shooting at pedestrians, Davis said.
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“He never entered the bar,” she added.
Officers staged nearby for weekend crowds responded within about “55-56 seconds,” Davis said. Police shot and killed the suspect at an intersection.
The shooting comes amid ongoing safety concerns along Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment strip, which has seen multiple violent incidents in recent years as police and business owners work to improve crowd-control measures, according to local KVUE.
“There is chaos in front of that bar every weekend, OK? This is not a new thing,” Hugo Mendez, owner of Blindside Tattoos and Blindside Lounge, told the outlet. “It’s not necessarily Sixth Street. It’s certain bars… that don’t carry the standard.”
Authorities have set up a Victim Services Unit hotline for families seeking information.
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