Austin shooter wore shirt resembling Iranian flag; officials probe possible terror link 

The Texas man accused of killing two people and wounding 14 others in a shooting in Austin early Sunday was wearing a shirt resembling the Iranian flag, CBS News reported.

Ndiaga Diagne wore the shirt under a sweatshirt that read “Property of Allah” when he opened fire in the Sixth Street bar district. The attack ended when police shot and killed him. 

An official briefed on the matter said the attack appeared to have been motivated at least in part by the United States’ and Israel’s military strike on Iran, which began Saturday.

Diagne, 53, reportedly came to the United States from Senegal in 2000 on a tourist visa. He later obtained a green card after marrying a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen in 2013. He was arrested in 2022 in connection with a car crash and had a history of mental health issues, CBS reported.

Authorities are analyzing his digital footprint to determine whether he was influenced by anyone in the United States or abroad regarding the attack.

He had a Quran in the vehicle he drove to the scene and officials “found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders” in his home.

House Republicans and the Trump administration have raised concerns about potential retaliation by terrorists who may have entered the country during the surge in illegal border crossings under President Joe Biden, when millions entered the country unlawfully and many remain unaccounted for.

In the wake of the shooting, several Republicans renewed calls to pass a bill to freeze all immigration “until we fix our immigration system,” Texas Rep. Chip Roy posted, citing cosponsors of the legislation.