Austin Police released the identity of two victims in the downtown mass shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in the city’s entertainment district. A third fatality was announced by authorities on Monday afternoon after a victim hospitalized as a result shooting died after being pulled from life support at an area hospital.
The two victims who died at the scene of the shooting were identified by Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington at the Monday press conference. Police later provided the identity of the third victim, who succumbed to his injuries, as 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, reported by some to be a local mixed martial arts fighter preparing to make his professional fighting debut in Austin.
The gunman, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was killed by police within a minute of opening fire on a crowd of mostly college students at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in the downtown Austin Sixth Street entertainment district.
According to authorities, Savitha Shan was a student enrolled at the University of Texas, while Ryder Harrington, of Austin, was a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. On Monday, University of Texas President Jim Davis issued a statement offering support to the student body as they cope with the sudden loss of life as a result of the mass shooting.
In the statement, Davis expressed his thoughts on the tragedy, saying, “Today, it was confirmed that among those who lost their lives is one UT student. A child of loving parents. A loyal friend to many. A Longhorn preparing to change the world. It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news, and we will remember her.”
The shooting on early Sunday, right at the time the popular night spot was closing, also resulted in the injury to 16 others, 9 of whom remain hospitalized. University President Davis expressed his concern for those still being treated for their injuries, adding, “You may have also learned today that a number of our students sustained injuries during the attack. Some of these are very serious, and we are hoping for the best outcomes, while others are on the path to recovery. I have met with many of these families and will continue to pray for them. All of the families, friends, and loved ones affected by this tragedy will need time for grief and healing, and we offer them our full support.”
As reported by Breitbart Texas, investigators executed a search warrant on Sunday at the Pflugerville, Texas, home of Ndiaga Diagne, the deceased gunman responsible for the deadly Austin shooting that occurred earlier in the day. According to CBS News, a source familiar with the investigation told the outlet that law enforcement officials found an Iranian flag and photos of leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran during a search of the home.
According to authorities, Diagne was a resident of Pflugerville, Texas, and was 53 years old. DHS records show Diagne, a Senegalese national, first entered the United States from Senegal in 2000 using a B-2 visitor visa. Diagne married a United States citizen in 2013 and later obtained United States citizenship through the naturalization process as a result of the marriage. No other information concerning a motive has been released by authorities.
Security camera footage showed Diagne wearing a hoodie-type sweatshirt emblazoned with “Property of Allah” on the front just seconds before being killed by police. In addition, Diagne was reportedly wearing an undershirt that had an image of an Iranian flag, and a Quran was found in Diagne’s vehicle.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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